Parts to Play: Books 3 & 4
by darling-gypsum
Summary: Unseen moments in the last two books, as Korra and Asami fly out of and back into each other's lives. Sequel to "Parts to Play: Books 1 & 2".
1. Close Company

**(Book 3, before episode 8)  
**

 **Zao Fu, Beifong Estate**

Before their youngest went off to her new life's adventure at the Northern Air Temple, the Beifong Clan had decided to spend a quiet night in. They'd reshuffled furniture around the living room, making a close approximation of a theater. And now, cast on the on the massive screen, unfolded the perilous adventures of Nuktuk, Hero of the South.

Varrick had given a quick but impassioned speech introducing his 'director's cut' of the film. Which evidently meant that he'd heavily edited it to lessen the more...warmongering portions of the script. Despite it still portraying a _very_ loose telling of the conflict with Unalaq, the mover played as a breezy pulp adventure now. Asami was grateful for that. The last thing Korra needed was more reminders of the war.

But Asami had decided tonight was about Bolin. She'd encouraged Varrick's vanity in premiering the new cut of the mover, but her motives hadn't been entirely honest. Bolin and his perilous 'adventures' as Nutuk would prop him up some, pull more of his confidence to the surface. Give him the best chance to spend time with Opal before she left for her airbending training. Asami was pleased that it seemed to be working.

"Northern Water Tribe Automatons!" Nuktuk wailed from his chains. "Nooo!"

A trio of Future Industries mechs rolled into view. "Bee bo bop," droned an actor off screen, "Nuktuk cannot stop Unalaq. Must destroy Nuktuk."

There were some chuckles from the Beifong twins at the stilted acting, but Asami mostly paid mind to Bolin and Opal cozy on the sofa. Neither of them were very engrossed in the mover. Bolin excitedly whispered about how fun the production was, and how he'd valiantly rescued the president of Republic City during the premiere. Opal, with a kind and genuinely interested smile, listened at the right beats and asked him questions at others.

The projector had a tendency to overheat, so Asami remained at the back, the only person other than the ever-distracted Varrick who knew how to operate it. Though Bataar Sr. was trying his hardest to figure it out. He had a strip of film unrolled in his hands, studying it through the ambient light of the projector. "Some sort of celluloid..." he murmured, glancing at Asami for confirmation.

She held her expression tight, struggling to not smile. He was determined to wear her down to get technical specs of the projector and the film material.

"This really is infuriating, Asami," Bataar muttered with a tired smile.

"I'm sorry," Asami said. She stifled a chuckle. "It's Varrick's work, not mine. Why don't you just ask him?"

"He's kept his mouth sealed about the whole process."

"Then I must defer to the creator's wishes," she said, "I can't in good conscience help you reverse-engineer it. Professional courtesy."

"Yes, yes, that's very noble of you. Young lady, exclusivity is the death rattle of innovation."

"I don't disagree," Asami said cheerfully, "And if it were my technology to share, you'd have it."

Asami reclined against the cushion. The projector clicked and whirred beside her, but she settled comfortably into the noise. She'd always found the sounds of working machinery a calming distraction.

There were chuckles from the Beifong twins as they watched and mocked Bolin's mover. It took some prodding from their mother and Opal to get them to settle down close to quiet. Asami wasn't used to big families like this. So much noise, so many personalities living together, clashing, holding a delicate balance of family peace. Despite being raised in the city, being raised in a house full of people most days, Asami found the crowd of Beifongs exciting, but exhausting.

Squinting at the edges of the film strip, Bataar Sr. let out a long exhale. "Would you mind if I at least took the reel into a brighter area to better study it?"

Asami nodded, and he stood from his chair. "But please keep it in one piece," she whispered after him. "We only have three movers to watch right now." An off-handed wave later, Bataar Sr. disappeared with the film canister in tow. To run what Asami hoped were non-invasive tests.

Slipping into the room past Bataar on his way out, Korra carried a small tray with two tea cups and a spread of food. Her eyes stayed glued to the mover as she walked. It occurred to Asami that this was still a pretty new technology for her. Korra knew the truth of the story well enough, maybe too well, but there was still novelty seeing Bolin acting the indomitable hero on screen, while at the same time sitting in the room with them, snuggling on the couch with Opal.

Gently scooting past Asami, Korra sat down beside her on the couch. "I come bearing snacks," she said in a hush. "Did I miss anything good?"

"Nuktuk is facing off against automaton abominations," Asami whispered with a smirk.

"Still?"

"Different abominations this time."

"Gotta give it to Varrick," Korra muttered, "he commits to his propaganda." Setting the tea tray on the floor, she offered a teacup to Asami. "I was gonna make you green tea, but then I remembered it keeps you up, so I found this lavender tea, I think it's supposed to be relaxing or something, but then they were brewing something else in the kitchen-" Korra had started to fiddle with the cup in her hands as she rambled.

"Thank you," Asami smirked, carefully taking the tea away before Korra spilled it in the dark.

"Crowds seem to tire you out," Korra said.

"It doesn't mean I'm not enjoying myself," Asami reassured her. She inhaled the gentle, fragrant steam.

"I know," said Korra, "I understand wanting to be alone sometimes. Recharge."

The sympathy was sweet, and appreciated, but Asami had doubts. Korra seemed to thrive just as well around a crowd as she did on her own.

Leaning to the tray on the floor, Korra grabbed a warm steamed sweet bun. "I'm glad I finally get to see this," she said quietly. "Bolin's been raving about it since the premiere." She shifted on her cushion with a smile. "Granted, he mostly talked about rescuing the president, but he still sounded excited."

"It's one of the better ones," Asami agreed. "They were hitting their stride by the end." A good number of Asami's nights as a child had been spent attending plays with her parents. She'd accumulated an impressive mental library: dramas, musicals, farces. Enough to have a keen sense of what worked and what didn't theatrically. Movers seemed more flash than substance right now, being so new, but they were already catching up with the quality of traditional theater.

"Soon," the over-the-top Unalaq bellowed, "my doomsday device will shoot this block of ice into the Earth's core, freezing the entire planet, and I will be the ruler of Ice Earth!"

Asami winced a little. The quality was _starting_ to catch up, anyway. "I hadn't really planned on orchestrating a date night, but I think it's going well, right?" She nodded out at Bolin and Opal.

The cushions shifted as Korra scooted closer to spy on the pair. A surge shot up Asami's brain when Korra's arm pressed against hers. "He's really gonna miss her," Korra said. Bolin had positively lit up since sitting on that sofa with Opal.

"I don't blame him," Asami whispered. "She's a sweetheart."

"I can't believe that Lin managed to convince her to train at the air temple."

"Having a high profile recruit like Opal certainly helps your chances. You should lead with that the next time you find an airbender."

"I plan to," Korra said. "I could use all the help I can get."

"You're doing fine," Asami urged. As Korra smiled at her in the dim light of the mover, Asami tried to focus on the projector's mechanical hum. A comforting distraction from the the thrill of goosebumps that broke out down to her ankles.

Hiding behind a sip of her lavender tea, she watched Korra turn back to the mover. Asami didn't know what else to say. Words felt caught in her throat. So she watched Korra, engrossed in the adventures of Nuktuk. She watched her grin when Bolin got to do something heroic and dashing, and groan at the bad jokes or the visible wires holding the giant bird monster in the air. Korra always bit down on a laugh at the "waterbending" effect of two buckets of water being thrown from off screen.

When Korra curled her feet up and returned to lean against her, Asami's heart began doing laps in her chest. But a sliver of cynicism threaded its way through her. Tried to force her to relax. She'd been hurt before like this. She didn't want to assume anything. She didn't want to push, or expect too much.

But how could she think of anything else but that she'd called this whole thing 'date night'?

Asami let herself lean into the solid weight of Korra against her, and they watched the rest of the mover in thrumming silence.

* * *

 **To be continued**

 **Please R &R! **Check out my tumblr "darling-gypsum" to see my screenshot artwork for this series. And there are 19 chapters preceding this story, in "Parts to Play: Books 1 & 2", chronically an Equalist Asami AU that gives Asami and the love triangle more depth, and still gets them back in line with Book 3 canon by the end! :D Enjoy!


	2. Fight or Flight

**(Book 3, episode 9)**

 **Outside the** **Misty Palms Oasis**

Asami clung desperately to Korra, holding her upright as they escaped Zaheer's ambush. Past the Oasis' gate, Naga broke into a full sprint and they made for the hills in a burst of panic and adrenaline. Asami gripped the reins, the momentum of each heavy stride threatening to throw her to the ground. Cold, relentless wind blasted around them. Asami flinched from it. She sunk her face into Korra's shoulder, pulling the girl closer.

Her grip tightened as Naga climbed higher, away from the battle. Dark empty desert stretched out around them. Behind, streaks of fire and distant shouting.

How long could Bolin and Mako hold off the terrorist benders? Asami scanned the path behind them, more panic filling her chest. If she saw the terrorists following behind them, her friends were dead.

Asami forced air into her lungs. There'd be no easy breathing till Korra was safe. Zaheer and his cronies had almost managed to take her at Zao Fu, but the entire Metal Clan had been there to fight back. Their only option now was to run. Kicking at her foot holds, Asami urged Naga harder.

They hit the hard rocky path near the crest of the foothills. Somewhere up here, they had stashed Asami's car. The boys were supposed to come back for it when they'd run off the rogue benders, or if they survived long enough for the terrorists to get loose and come chasing after Korra.

Asami pushed through the thudding in her ears, tried to regain her bearings. Heading back the way they came, getting back to Zao Fu, was Korra's best chance for safety.

Naga returned to a sprint down the outstretched road. Not a person in sight, and more importantly, the sounds of battle continued to echo in the distance. Mako and Bolin were still putting up a good fight.

Arms still snug around Korra's shoulders, Asami turned back to the road. In the split second, she caught the dust rising from the ground.

There was no time to dodge, no time to react other than a harsh yell as a massive rock tore up through the ground, blocking their path. Naga pivoted from the sudden wall, leaping aside to meet another slab as it slid up in their way.

They were being caged. Another jagged plate of rock rose up, then another. Growing higher and higher to meet above their heads and seal them inside.

Asami's legs clamped down on Naga's sides as they skidded in the dust cloud. With the deafening crunch of rock colliding with rock, the trap closed up around them, and the cool light of the moon was extinguished.

Their breath echoed raggedly against the walls. They waited in silence. Naga nudged at the rough stone with her nose, clawing at it.

Through the ringing in her ears, Asami could hear shouting outside.

She had to have missed something. Some vital detail that let Zaheer get the drop on them. The walls hugged close. Trapping them in. There was no room to dismount, not with Korra sagged against her, still unconscious.

"Korra," she murmured, "You need to wake up. Please wake up." She ran a hand through Korra's hair, resting their faces together as she gently shook the Avatar. Her consciousness was off somewhere in the spirit world. Deaf to Asami's pleas, numb to the physical world and the danger they were in.

Naga paced anxiously, whining, barely able to move. Asami tugged on the reins to slow her down, but the polar dog was too distracted. Too stressed.

With the harsh grinding of stone, small fist-sized holes suddenly slid open, surrounding them from all sides of the pyramid.

"Stay where you are!" a gruff voice commanded. "By order of Her Majesty the Earth Queen."

Not what she'd been expecting. But not comforting, either. "We've been attacked by enemies of the Queen!" Asami barked out at them. "Enemies of every kingdom! Let us go, or help us!"

"You are to be detained and delivered to Ba Sing Se for summary judgement," the man said.

Naga snarled at the closest opening, snapping her massive jaws down to tear at anything that might slip through. Another man outside shouted at the sound of the dog's threat.

"Naga, no!" Asami commanded, but the dog kept growling.

The air took on an uneasy stillness. Asami listened desperately to any sounds she could make out, muted by the stone. She heard shuffling, and the familiar sounds of armed and armored soldiers.

"Aim," another voice commanded calmly. "And...fire."

Quiet shots whistled through the air and Naga jolted suddenly, as if she'd been bitten. Asami grabbed the reins with both hands. "Easy, Naga, easy…"

She could feel Naga swaying, unstable on her feet. With a huff, the dog's legs suddenly collapsed.

Asami nearly barreled over the side. "Naga!" She held on to Korra as they both slid, Korra's limp form dragging them harder. When they all hit the ground, quiet and still, Asami rested her hands on the dog's fur, feeling for breathing. It was weak, but steady.

The shouting of men began again. Scrambling up, Asami's hand itched. She'd left her stun glove on the ship, left in the rush from Zao Fu. She wasn't helpless without it, but she'd come to rely on how that early intimidation could sway a fight in her favor. She waited in unbearable silence as she listened to the men outside doling out orders. Trying to predict where they'd strike from next.

A doorway burst open to her left and she turned to a half dozen Earth Kingdom soldiers barreling down at her.

Asami readied her stance, dug herself in between Korra and the soldiers. But the rocky sand was not firm.

Two of the soldiers leapt after her. She slid out of their path, getting a good swing in. Grabbing the other's arm, she heard a snap and a yell as she twisted it, hurling him over her shoulder and to the ground. Another she got to back off with a swinging kick as his shin. She'd fought multiple opponents at once before. She'd trained for close quarters, for being outnumbered.

A heavy shoulder collided with her back and she slammed forward into another soldier. He got a grip on her jacket and kicked her legs out from under her. She hit the ground hard. It knocked the wind out of her chest.

Asami thrashed out with every limb, struggling to breath, but one after the other, the soldiers dog-piled her. Weighed her down. Pressing more air from her lungs. She struggled weakly, but they trapped her arms and legs to the ground.

"Halt!" The commander's voice rang out. His men gripped hard, but Asami continued to flail against them.

The commander had pulled Korra up into his arms. His metal armor jutted out from his wrist in a blade. He held the knife gently at the Avatar's collarbone.

"Korra!" The image set Asami's blood cold. She released the tension in her shoulders, and all the soldiers' weight came bearing down on her. She slammed into the sand. Her lungs settled and she sucked in air and sand. Coughing violently.

"Are you gonna sit tight now?" the commander asked. "Are you gonna be still?"

Asami breathed hard from her nose. She tightened her muscles again and squirmed, but she couldn't move. The guards were holding firm.

The knife's blade inches closer to Korra's throat. Asami's eyes clung to the image. _Wake up Korra, please wake up…_

Asami went still.

"That's smart," the commander said.

The soldiers twisted her hands back roughly, and she felt a surge of familiar panic at the cold metal cuff gripping her wrists. She was hauled up by her arms.

Two of the soldiers clamped onto her shoulders, keeping her head pointed at the ground. She tried to twist around, find Korra in the rush outside. One of the soldiers bent the slabs of the pyramid back into the ground, and Naga's limp body sprawled out on the dirt.

The soldiers were leaving her behind.

Asami tugged against them. "Naga!" she called. A thick suffocating bag was thrown over her head, and everything fell into exhausting darkness.

* * *

 _ **Thank you for reading! Please read and review!**_


	3. Stranded

**(Book 3, episode 10)  
**

 **Earth Kingdom Desert**

Korra shielded her eyes from the mid-afternoon sun as it scalded the desert. Unsteady shifting dunes rumbled in the distance. They were making her anxious. Almost as much as the fact that she and Asami were stranded in the middle of nowhere with only their captors for company.

The escape from Earth Kingdom custody had not gone well. The airship transport had been their chance to get the upperhand. A skeleton crew of airmen, not a single member of the Queen's Dai Li forces. After a ruckus expertly started by Asami, and a few busted control panels courtesy of Korra, the airship had plummeted and crashed into the middle of the desert. They'd have been dead if Asami hadn't piloted them to a relatively smooth landing.

Now, Asami was the best engineer in sight, and the Avatar was conscious, freed from her chains, and angry. The Earth Kingdom soldiers had wisely agreed that survival was the more important goal to focus on right now.

A tension hung in the air. Their chances of survival dwindled if the ship couldn't return to flying shape. Korra watched the four soldiers as they took shifts watching the horizon and helping with repairs. These men were a prisoner transport crew, not a strike team. Honestly, if Korra really wanted to, she could overpower them in seconds.

But if Asami got the airship back up and running, what was to stop these men from following through with their orders to deliver them to the Earth Queen? At the back of her mind, Korra almost wanted them to. She had a few choice words for Her Majesty about all the mess her court had brought down on them.

The airmen seemed nervous, too, though. What was to stop Asami and Korra from overtaking them and leaving them out in the desert to die?

The soldiers might not believe her, but Korra wasn't about to abandon them in the wilderness. They'd seen reason, for now. Asami was giving them marching orders to repair the airship, and they were going along with it. Thousands of Earth Kingdom soldiers were after them as fugitives, but in the end, unlike Zaheer and the Red Lotus, these men had just been following orders. Korra was not in the business of hurting decent people. No Avatar would be.

They all needed to work together to get out of this.

Korra followed the airship's massive shadow and found Asami hanging from the outer bulkheads in a swing she'd rigged up. She was welding scraps of metal collected from the crash, patching up holes and cracks that would compromise any attempt to get back in the air. Though it wouldn't do much good if they couldn't get the engine back up and running, too.

"They rationed out the water that was left," Korra called up. She brandished a heavy metal canteen. "Half a liter per person per hour. You haven't had a break in a while."

"Sure," Asami breathed, wiping her face with the inside of an arm. She looked tired. Balancing on a swing for hours, arms up and tensed: even Korra found it exhausting to watch, and she'd trained for that sort of effort.

Asami adjusted the cabling on either side of her and slowly lowered the swing down with each tug. When she was within reach, Korra grabbed hold of the swing's seat and gently guided it down. Asami seemed wobbly on her feet, so Korra offered a hand.

"Thanks," Asami said, standing with a sigh. Reaching to the sky, she stretched the soreness out of her arms. She took the canteen and considered it for a moment, passing it back and forth between her hands. "There's at least double that in here."

Of course she'd figure that out. "You're doing all this work and I'm just sitting on my hands," Korra insisted. "I don't really need it."

"You have to drink."

"I'll be fine. Can I help with anything?"

"Bring another of those sheets over?" Asami pointed at the pile the soldiers had gathered nearby.

Shuffling to the scrap heap, Korra came back with a piece of metal about the width of her torso. As she walked back, she saw that one of the Earth Kingdom soldiers had appeared. He was shifting between his feet as Asami doled out orders.

"Tell Kong that he needs to get that debris out of the engine room before he tries to run it again," Asami said, stern but even. This had not been her first correction. "If too much sand gets caught in the filters, it'll blow."

"Yes. Sorry, ma'am," the soldier threw up a flustered salute before thinking better of it. "Right away, ma'am." He spun on a heel and fought the urge to run.

"Break it open and brush it out by hand if you have to!" Asami called after him.

The soldier nearly collided with Korra as he rushed past. "Sorry! Sorry!" he huffed out, raising his hands. He disappeared up the airship's ramp.

Asami threw the strap for the canteen over her shoulder. She inspected the sheet of metal as Korra hauled it closer. "That's good," she said, getting back into the seat. "Could you try to break that in half for me?"

Korra hadn't been metalbending for very long, but it had come naturally to her. A firm exhale and a twist of her wrist gave enough force to fold the sheet in two. Soon, she set about ripping the two pieces apart.

Asami got back into up position against the bulkhead and pointed at the next untreated section of gashed steel. "Right about here?"

Korra gestured firmly, lifting the patch into the air. It slammed against the side of the ship with a heavy clang. Hands thrumming with connection to the metal, Korra held it snug against the bulkhead.

There were some directions, and adjustments—turn it a few inches here, slide it a ways over there—before Asami was happy with the placement. Korra dug her feet in and pinned the sheet in place as Asami lowered her goggles and lit up the welding torch.

"So what was that all about?" Korra asked, nodding back where the soldier had fled.

Asami had gotten to work melting the edge of the sheet. With both hands busy, she could only shrug. "I guess having the Avatar off her leash makes them a little skittish."

" _That_ was not about me," Korra said, smirking.

Asami hesitated with the torch. "What do you mean?"

"You're intimidating," Korra chuckled. Propped up and focused on holding the metal still, her arms were starting to tire. Maybe she did need some water. "I mean, you're this genius inventor, all smooth-talking and put-together, you're way taller than him, pretty…"

The metal patch slipped a little, but Asami pinned it with a glove. "Korra."

Realizing what'd she'd done, and what she'd just said, Korra straightened her arms and took back the grip on the sheet. "Sorry. I got it."

"Be careful," Asami said gently, "You'll have to waste perfectly good drinking water to patch yourself up if you get conked on the head."

Korra nodded, wincing with the effort of keeping hold of the metal sheet hovering overhead. She fought off a flicker of panic in her brain. She hadn't just said... nope, she definitely had. Put the Avatar in front of a raging horde of marauders, and she was cool and collected. Powerful. Put her in front of Asami Sato and she melted into a puddle of awkward.

Asami traced the edges of the patch with the welding torch. In the blinding hot light of the fire, the hull and the metal sheet melded and mixed together. She was more than comfortable with this kind of work. She seemed to live for it. Crafting with her hands, creating, problem solving. She was so at peace in it. "But I interrupted you," Asami called down. "Please, continue. You were complimenting me?" Her smile lit up in the glow of the torchlight.

"Right," Korra coughed a little. "Pretty…" Scouring her brain for a segway, she kicked at the ground. "...pretty much on your way to running the biggest company in the world," she finished. Lamely. "There's plenty to be intimidated by."

The last corner of the patch fused with the bulkhead. Asami patted the airship with a glove. "Okay, you're good," she said. "You can let go. I'll get to the rest in a bit." Flipping off the torch switch, she tucked it into a basket strapped to the swing; another thing that she'd fashioned from ship scraps. She tugged her goggles down to her neck and used the winch to lower herself to the ground.

When she hopped to the sand below, Asami finally swigged from the canteen. Her eyes lit up a little when they found Korra's. The amusement drifted to her mouth. Lingered there. "You think I'm pretty," she said. It wasn't a question.

"You _know_ you're pretty," Korra quipped back, her smile struggling to hold. _You are flirting right now. What you are doing is a flirt._

The line seemed to go over well, though. "And you call _me_ smooth-talking?" Asami teased.

Korra couldn't seem to remember what words were. It only made Asami more pleased with herself.

"Thank you for the water," she said. Taking one last drink from the canteen, Asami handed it back, pointing firmly with it. "Now drink your half." Her smile was still bright. "I can finish up here. You should head back inside, help the others with cleaning out the engine."

The winch groaned but held firm as Asami hauled her swing back up the side of the airship. She was on task, completely focused and at ease despite how dire their situation seemed.

It took a while for Korra to actually move her feet, or take a drink, for that matter. The Avatar had found herself staring a bit too long at the mouth of the canteen, where Asami had left a warm print of dark red lipstick.

* * *

They were not alone out here in the desert.

What Korra had assumed to be unstable sands beneath them had not been the rumbling of shifting dunes. An enormous creature rose from the depths of the desert, latching onto the airship and tearing it apart like paper in its razor sharp maw.

After the attack, the desert went deathly silent again. At least they'd all survived. Perhaps the creature had only seen the airship as its prey. And now, scattered in pieces, it was 'dead' enough to be left alone. But perhaps the gigantic sand shark would circle back and finish what it started.

Perhaps they were now being hunted.

As the rumbling grew louder and louder again, Asami once again took charge. Organized the small team and gathered what scraps they could salvage from the wreckage. No time for a clean welding job. They roped pieces together into a makeshift sand-sailer. In barely enough time to secure all the pieces of their escape vessel, the tide of the dunes sank low, and the monster erupted from the earth.

The next few minutes were a blur. Korra blasted air into the sails, as hard as she could without bursting the balloon fabric. Thrusting them forward. Fleeing from the massive predator. Asami navigated them through the dunes, finding the soft waves of sand where she could, dodging the worst of the rough terrain when she had to. The crude rudder she'd constructed held, just barely.

The soldiers clung to the trussed-up planks of wood and metal as the shark kicked up powerful waves from the desert floor. The sand rose up beneath them, and they were flung out into the air. The creature dove up from the dune to pounce at them.

Korra sucked in a long hard breath and put everything she had into a thrust of air. The sail groaned under the strain. The creature bore down on them, its mouth surrounding their little sand-sailer. The sun went dark, and the sand shark's gullet loomed around them.

They all found themselves staring back and down the abyss of the creature's mouth. Releasing her command of air, Korra pulled a burst of furious heat from within her. A powerful flash of fire seared down the sand shark's throat and its momentum suddenly faltered. Korra instinctively swept another gust of wind through the sail. In a burst of forward speed, they slipped through the predator's gaping maw and hit the ground. Their pursuer plummeted to the ground with a massive shock wave. Asami twisted the rudder, turning them smoothly into the crest of the tidal wave of sand.

They didn't stop for a long time. Adrenaline was high, and they wanted to put as much distance as they could between them and the shark. They listened for the telltale rumbling, scanned the horizon behind the sailer for any slip of the dunes.

When a half hour passed, it seemed that they were out of the creature's territory. Bare desert and glorious silence lay ahead. Hopefully there wasn't something similarly sized, and similarly angry, waiting for them further out.

By the top of the next crest, Korra needed a break. She lowered her aching arms, the sand-sailer gliding to a creaking halt. The ropes stretched to their limits, ship parts grinding together haphazardly. They weren't going to get much more mileage out of this thing.

From their vantage point at the top of the hill, they could see the soft sands of the dunes gave way to a flat rocky plain. Too hard for any creature to swim through. And out ahead of that, there was an outcropping of stone structures. Korra recognized the walls of the Misty Palms Oasis. It was where they had started in this whole mess, but it was civilization. They could search for Mako and Bolin and get out of here.

Exhausted laughter quickly filled the silence. As if every nerve in the airmen's bodies had to release tension through pure joy. The soldiers hooted, patting each other and Korra on the back. Each of them, even the grizzled captain, threw a quick but sincere salute in Asami's direction.

Korra looked up at their fearless leader. Asami was smiling underneath her goggles, hair mussed up from the wind of the chase. She swayed a bit, but held onto the rudder's handle for balance.

Chuckling along with the soldiers, Korra climbed up the sand-sailer platform and steadied the rudder with her. She studied Asami for a moment before resting her hands on either side of the girl's head.

"What?" Asami laughed quietly, out of breath.

Without warning, Korra shook her hands, kicking up a sand cloud from Asami's hair.

Grabbing Korra's wrists, Asami laughed even harder, coughing through the cloud. Korra tried to untangle her fingers, but Asami held them still as she fought to soothe the laughter rocking through herself. "Goof." She shoved her goggles up out of her eyes.

Reaching out, Korra helped loosen the goggle strap that had twisted up. Asami had gotten some color. The dry heat of a sunburn spread out across her cheeks.

"You're amazing," Korra breathed, grinning.

Asami's smile flickered, her face blushing an even deeper pink. "Don't give me all the credit," she shrugged, pulling off the goggles. "This thing comes with a built-in airbender." Their eyes held, but Asami was fiddling with the goggles in her hands. For the first time Korra could remember, she looked downright bashful.

Korra would have done just about anything to coax that smile out of her again.

"Oy!" one of the soldiers shouted, "Out at the wall. Look at that!" They passed along a small telescope to each other, murmuring and muttering.

Asami turned to them for her chance to see through the telescope, but Korra didn't move. Couldn't look away. As though she were being held in place, her smile hot-wired to her brain.

This girl.

The Avatar didn't need protecting, but Asami still put herself in the way. And she had done all of this. She'd saved them all. She'd gotten Korra away from the Red Lotus, freed her from the Queen's grip, made a truce with all these soldiers to escape the desert. And with the fear of being eaten alive looming over their heads, she'd designed, built, and piloted a scrap of garbage against a giant sand monster. Asami had saved them all with her intellect, her courage, her nerve.

Korra watched a frown spread across that beautiful face as Asami stared out of the telescope.

"Is that a _dragon_?"

* * *

 **(Bo** **ok 3, episode 12)**

Please read the short comic " **Book 3 Au where Korra and Asami got a slightly longer goodbye** " to see another sequence that I consider canon to my fic. (this scene is referenced with permission by the artist, _plastic-pipes_ )

.com[slash]post[slash]118185748113

* * *

 **(Between Books 3 and 4)**

 _Avatar Korra is broken, ravaged by her torture at the hands of Zaheer and the the Red Lotus. Asami struggles to connect with Korra as she recovers from her injuries on Air Temple Island._

Read my fic " **Safe Harbor** " to continue Korra and Asami's story between Books 3 & 4.

* * *

 **Chapter 4 of Parts to Play coming soon!**


	4. Night

**(** **Book 4, episode 2)**

 **Somewhere in the Earth Kingdom**

Korra woke to darkness.

It hadn't been the nightmare this time. She had not relived the cold resolve on Zaheer's face, his fervent belief that destroying The Avatar was the right thing to do. There had been no staggering pain of the poison coursing through her as it tore open her mind and left her body raw.

Tonight, she woke to a flush across her skin. A hollow ache in her chest as she took in the room, adjusting to the dark.

For a year, she'd found no rest. Dreamless sleep only came on those nights she was too exhausted to move. Barely making it into the bed. Too broken, too tired to try to heal herself from a fight. Each day was a battle against panic and fear inside of herself, inside the fighting ring. Her dreams were too often filled with the same. The nights that the Red Lotus did not haunt her were few and far between. When her mind was desperate for relief, when it did not replay the trauma of Zaheer's poison, it would conjure a comfortable lie. On those rare, quieter nights, Korra found herself actually wishing for that simple, familiar nightmare.

It tore open fresh wounds every time that Korra woke up to find Asami wasn't there.

In the dream, her bed had been soft. Safe. Her bruises radiated a dull pain across her skin, but gentle hands had soothed it. Korra's body had sunk languidly into the pillows, calmed by the scent of jasmine. The heat of a body against her, breathing her in. Asami's mouth trailing kisses up her spine, to her neck, just below her ear. Leaving red lipstick in her path.

Now awake, Korra flinched at the cramp in her neck. The bed beneath her was a tough mat. The room was not soft or warm. It was hot. Quiet, but in the same way that a coffin or a jail cell could be.

Korra stared at the bare stone ceiling. Her hand stretched out instinctively, feeling the emptiness beside her.

She hurt everywhere. Bones ached. Her face throbbed where the last blow had been struck in her fight. The bruises made her look tougher. It helped with the fighter image, she'd decided. If she couldn't win by strength alone, perhaps she could with intimidation. Being another person. They made her look like somebody else. Hardened, lawless, dangerous. Which was for the best; she certainly didn't feel like Korra right now.

There would be another match in a couple days. What little earning she'd made in the draw tonight would keep her going until then. For now, she would sleep until hunger took over. Then she'd wander out of her room to the road, buy the cheapest thing that came first.

Pushing herself up with a groan, she tried to remember the calm of her dream. Where she had been safe. Touched. Loved.

Korra didn't pull out the letters this time. Tucked under the bed in the only bag she'd packed, they were crumpled and worn from re-reading. Gentle encouragements, pauses written in the right places where she could hear Asami's voice coming through.

She must have been so hurt when Korra disappeared. How much anger, or pain, could there still be with two years now between them?

They had been impulsive, those lies that Korra had woven for the chance to run away. She had told herself that the answers to recovery were out there in the world, that she needed to find herself again. That the others wouldn't understand. But at what point would 'finding herself' turn into never coming home? When would she finally resign herself to cramped, dingy rooms in backwater towns, to being another notch on the fighting circuit wall? Mediocre. Forgotten.

To the world, Avatar Korra was still a mystery, a myth even. But this person, with bruised fists, haunted by her dreams as much as by her nightmares…she was nothing.

Korra felt an all-too-familiar twinge, deep in her chest. It nearly took the wind out of her. She was suddenly back in those early months, when the damage from the poison was still fresh. She'd been so afraid to be weak. So afraid to have failed everyone.

Her heart fluttered anxiously in her chest as the twinge deepened. Was it another injury from the cage match? Maybe Korra hadn't felt it until the swelling had gone down. Could it be a resurfacing symptom of the poison? Of her guilt?

Pressure built up behind her eyes. Tears threatening to fall. Would Korra feel this for the rest of her life? Would panic always grip at her throat? Bring her to her knees?

A deep primal need was scratching its way out. The need to flee out the door, run into the wild, and just disappear. The panic was bubbling to the surface as tears filled her eyes. She had to make it stop.

She was afraid to go back home to face the bitterness, the betrayal that they all must have felt, must still feel. More than that, she was afraid to find that they had all moved on. That in the end, Korra had been a burden on her friends and family, blocking their paths to better lives.

But could she remain here? Beaten and small, with nothing and no one to find comfort in. No family. No friends. Was she stuck at a dead end, haunted by the ghost of what she once was? Would she ever escape it? Would she ever long for sleep again?

Korra's hands gripped the mattress, and she tried to breath. Tried to steady herself. Breathing in. Counting the seconds. She let herself exhale, restarting the count. Her hands pressed either side of her head. Her eyes clamped shut, but tears slipped through.

In the dream, Asami's lips had been soft. Korra had been at peace. They had warmed each other in the night. They had laughed together.

Korra felt like a coward. A foolish child with all the waiting, the hesitating. And then she'd pushed Asami away, when all she'd done to Korra was offer to put her entire life on hold for her.

She threaded her fingers together, trying to remember the pressure of Asami's hand. Korra imagined her sharp smile, her voice that was somehow warm, and kind, and strong all at once. Korra clung to the edges of the dream, but it was fading too fast.

No matter how much pain that dream always dredged up, Korra could never truly wish it away. Laying her head back, slowly, painfully, she tried to will it to return. Wishing for Asami in the dark.


	5. Understanding

**(Book 4, episode 7)**

 **Republic City Restaurant**

 _"What's going on with you two?"_

* * *

Mako had wandered into the men's room after Prince Wu, leaving the girls outside in the hall to stew. Three years had passed since Asami and Korra had been in the same room together. Despite all that time piled between them, despite now finally having a chance to clear the air, they had only managed to snap at each other.

Asami's chest burned. She wished that they could be back in their happy reunion, holding each other in relief. Not standing at arm's length, silently staring at the floor. Hurt. Awkward. Distant.

It had only taken one ill word about Hiroshi for her to bite Korra's head off. Her nerves were raw when it came to her father right now. They had barely begun rebuilding their relationship. It was still new. Delicate.

In her protectiveness of that small, fragile hope, a bitter cold had sliced through her. What did Korra know? At least Hiroshi was trying. Korra hadn't been here when he'd reached out. He had actually _bothered to send_ letters. Dozens upon dozens of them, begging Asami to consider visiting him in prison. He'd realized that he'd been carrying a torch for his wife, and had let that grief blind him to the fact that he still had a daughter to love, and protect, and share his life with. He wanted to prove that he'd changed. He had actually been here for Asami. More than she could say of Korra.

She'd surprised herself, not just Korra, with her outburst at the table. All the bitterness, the self-consciousness, the ugly little impulses that Asami had thought she'd moved passed, had all bubbled up at once.

For three years, Korra hadn't been here.

 _Exactly_ , she scolded herself. Korra hadn't been here. How could Asami be so angry at her for questioning Hiroshi's motives, if she didn't understand? Korra hadn't see him in his cell, frail and exhausted, sobbing an apology to his daughter. Asami was the only precious thing Hiroshi still had in this world, and he'd vowed to prove it to her.

Words clawed out of Asami before she realized she was speaking up. "I'm sorry I snapped at you," she murmured.

Korra's face visibly relaxed at the break in the silence. "Please don't apologize," she sighed, "I shouldn't have made assumptions about your father. I'm just worried about you."

Asami nodded softly. "I know what I'm doing."

"And I should trust you," Korra agreed.

For months, Asami had struggled with the decision to let her father back into her life. She'd kept her visits to the prison to herself. Somehow she'd gotten it in her head that if she didn't tell anyone, she wouldn't have to justify herself. With Korra in front of her now, she realized that all along she had desperately wanted to feel safe enough to share her concerns, her doubts, her fears. But the person she needed for that had run away.

"I want to be able to talk to you about him," she admitted. She ventured a glance up to Korra's face, unsure if she could hold it together. Her throat fought hard against a swallow. "Three years is a long time to go without your best friend."

Pangs of guilt flickered behind Korra's eyes. "I'm so sorry I left the way I did. I wasn't trying to hurt anyone. I didn't want to hurt you. I just needed time. But...but I should have done it better."

In the lobby, Korra had been happy. Her smile had etched itself into Asami's brain. With more time to watch her, and the way she moved, the way she carried herself, Asami realized that Korra felt...whole. She couldn't think of anything more of a comfort than how solid, how collected, Korra looked. Maybe all she had needed was time. Time and distance.

"You do seem better," Asami said.

Korra nodded. "The last few years, I've figured out a lot about myself."

Asami managed a smile of sorts. "That's good."

So much time had passed between them, and so much had changed. Despite the awkwardness, Asami felt this powerful urge to unload it all, to talk to her about everything. The anger, and the joy, and the uncertainty. Korra's absence had been painful, more than Asami could admit to herself sometimes. She had patched up the hurt as best she could, stitched her life back together with frayed thread and a prayer. And it seemed to be holding. Now that Korra was back, shouldn't the last missing piece of Asami's life have just slid back into place?

The only thing filling that empty space right now was anxiety. She wasn't sure what to expect from Korra now. Perhaps three years was just too much time. It suddenly occurred to Asami that Korra had been away for longer than she'd lived in Republic City. They'd spent more time apart than together. What if Asami didn't know her anymore? What if the things that Korra had figured out about herself didn't include her?

"What's wrong?" Korra asked. She was watching her with a frown.

Asami tried to force herself to say something. Anything. "I feel like I've been…" She hugged her arms tight, latching onto them, holding back the fluttering in her chest and the rocks in her stomach. "I guess I was just nervous about today."

Korra stepped forward, re-entering that comfortable space that they'd once shared. "You don't have to be nervous around me."

A smirk trembled out. "Hard to help, after what Mako said."

"About what?" Korra asked.

Asami's mouth went dry. She fought a dizziness in her chest, like she was tipping over the edge of a very steep cliff. One more step and she wouldn't be able to climb back.

Biting down on her fear, she finally let the words fall out. "There _is_ something going on with us," she said. "Isn't there."

Korra blinked. Silence fell on the hall for an unbearably long second.

Hands clamped around her middle, Asami leaned into the wall and stared down at dead air. "Before you left, it seemed like there was." An awful, itching panic flushed up to her cheeks. This was a mistake, her brain screamed. What was she doing? "And then..." She risked a glance up. "...and then you only wrote to me."

There it was. In the open. As open as Asami could manage right now, anyway. Leaping off the edge hadn't been so bad. It was the waiting, the hanging in midair, that suddenly felt unbearable. Her throat threatened to close up on itself as Korra stood there in agonizing silence.

Then something solidified behind Korra's eyes. Her back straightened.

"I did," she agreed.

Asami felt anchored to the wall. She couldn't move, other than to turn her stare towards Korra. Patient, beautiful, confident Korra. She was finally here. Finally home.

Two words. It had only taken two words to leave Asami speechless. She waited for her brain to catch up and respond. All day, Asami had practiced mundane talking points in her head. Again and again. As though being over-prepared would somehow make it easier to face their long-overdue reunion. But she had lost grip of every polite question she'd resigned herself to asking, every anecdote she'd carefully tailored to ignore the topic of Korra's absence. Instead of her meticulous words, her mind was flooded with a rush of what-ifs, of every good and every painful memory of their time together, of how desperately she wanted to close the space between them. It was a step, maybe two, but it may as well have been a canyon.

All the while, Korra never stopped staring back. She was waiting for Asami to make the next move. The hint of a smile that crept onto Korra's mouth was hopeful, relieved. With it, the room suddenly brightened.

Asami had to remind herself to breathe. Her hands reached back to brace the wall. _You're in love with her. You've been in love with her this whole time, and you've been a damn fool._

The tension that Asami had been building herself up with suddenly shattered when the bathroom door shoved open. Mako barreled into the hallway in a panic. "Wu's gone," he said. "Something's not right."

The worries of the world all came crashing back down. Every inch of Asami's body exhaled at once, and she felt herself drift limply back against the wall.

A missing Earth Kingdom prince was not a small thing. No matter how much Asami wanted to just wish the problem away. World peace was at stake if anything were to happen to the future Earth King.

Something caught Korra's eye down the hall, and Asami followed her gaze to movement at the open exit door. A laundry attendant was pushing a cart of towels and tablecloths towards the loading dock. In a rush, by the look of it.

"Come on," Korra urged. She quickly reached out and squeezed Asami's arm. Had the distance been that easy to cross? Three years was long enough to forget how warm Korra's skin felt. But it wasn't long enough to forget the sensation of being touched by her. The drumming in Asami's chest was as vivid as the first time.

All business suddenly, Korra pulled away and made a line for the exit. Asami finally pushed off from the wall, following her and Mako in a march.

She had made the mistake of waiting too many times. She had tried to be the bigger person and walk away, or had let her fear and uncertainty silence her, or had pushed her feelings down in order to be the emotional support that Korra needed. Every time, she'd convinced herself that it had been the right thing in the moment. And every time, it seemed that life, or war, or tragedy had managed to pull Korra even further away. Their lives were complicated, dangerous, full of too much responsibility. Asami couldn't be sure when the next crisis would come. How many second chances were they going to get to find each other?

They needed to talk. They were going to _make time_ to talk. Asami swore it to herself, to the spirits, the universe, the damn Earth Kingdom, and anything else that was conspiring to push their words down. Despite everything Asami wasn't sure about right now, she knew down to her bones that they were _going_ to make time.


	6. Revisiting

**(Book 4, episode 8)**

 _"_ _Thank you both. I know that this Kuvira problem is only going to get worse. But no matter what happens, no matter how crazy things get, I'll always try to restore balance."_

* * *

An unease had settled onto Air Temple Island. Acolytes and benders hustled to their chores, keeping themselves busy. With the threat of Kuvira and her army, no one could be certain if this peace would hold. And with the Avatar only just returned, healed but still unsteady on her feet, there were too many preparations to be made. Would they have to flee their home as the Earth Empire stormed Republic City? Would the young Air Nation be forced into a war?

From the gazebo at the edge of the island, Korra let the familiar crash of waves against the rocky shore lull her into a calm. But a constant fear thrummed beneath the veneer of meditation she was wearing. What if she wasn't ready to face Kuvira again? What if she had finally found an enemy that she couldn't defeat?

Her time in the Earth Kingdom had been lonely, and exhausting, but most of all, silent. Before she'd discovered Toph in the jungle, she'd barely held a conversation with another person. Korra had cut herself off from connecting with anyone. She'd only unleashed her anger in the fighting ring, confined her despair to her bed, in the dark corners of her sleepless nights. Alone. Internalizing all her weakness and anxiety, with no one to talk to.

But she wasn't alone anymore. When she'd arrived home, Korra had been shocked to find herself surrounded by people who were more than ready to help carry her burdens.

She took a deep inhale of the warm cup in her hands. The delicate steam of the herbal tea mellowed the sharp sea air. A gift from Asami, who'd claimed she was worried that Korra 'might be cold out here.' Korra, a member of the Southern Water tribe, in the middle of summer, off the coast of balmy, temperate Republic City Bay. She smiled into her tea, watching Asami stare out at the sunset, its light reflecting off the city skyline she had helped build.

"Daddeeee!" Ikki sailed down from the sky in her wing suit, her sharp cry echoing through the courtyard.

Beside Korra, Tenzin let out an entire fatherhood's worth of sighing. "Ikki," he said, "What's the matter?"

His young daughter scrunched up her face, clinging to her arms in the most dramatically pouty way Korra could imagine. "Po and Lu-Sang aren't packing the emergency supplies right," Ikki demanded, stomping her foot. "I told them how you said to do it, but they said they knew how to do it better than I did and you said I should supervise and I was supervising and no one will listen to me!"

"I'll...I'll be there in a moment." With a resigned smile, he turned back to Korra, bracing her by the shoulders. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Korra promised. "Thank you." Putting down her cup, she stepped forward and hugged him tight. Somehow, amid the storm of her life these past few years, she hadn't lost her mentor. Her teacher. She'd missed Tenzin's speeches. Reassuring her of her strength, reminding her of how much she had overcome already. Helping her focus on the task ahead.

"Please tell me if you ever need to talk." Tenzin offered a polite smile as he backed down the gazebo steps. "Have a good night, you two."

"Goodnight," Asami called after him.

Leaving the girls to themselves, Tenzin trailed after Ikki towards the main pavilion, his daughter muttering angrily the whole way.

Korra found herself focusing not on the rhythm of the waves crashing ashore, but on the air between her and Asami. The hint of warmth. Asami's gentle breathing as she stood quietly beside her. She pushed down a laugh as she watched Ikki march away with her father in tow. The girl let out another exasperated shout from the distance and broke the quiet.

"I can't believe how much she's grown up," Korra said.

Ikki began gesturing wildly at the air acolytes as they passed, Tenzin apologizing for her as they went.

"She hasn't changed _that_ much," Asami chuckled. "Though, while you were gone, I did teach her how to ride Naga."

Korra's ears perked up at that. "You didn't," she grinned.

Asami nodded, pleased with herself. "They have a standing date out on the foothills every few days," she said. "Ikki has such a good rapport with the sky bison, it felt like a natural next step. It was a little rocky at first, but when I got busy at work and couldn't take Naga out on runs, Ikki took over."

"Good," Korra said. "I was hoping Naga didn't get cooped up while I was gone."

"I think her and Ikki both appreciated getting to run a little wild," Asami said.

With a sigh, Korra turned back to the ocean, one of the few constants in her world. The Air Temple was no longer filled with just the shouts and laughter of children. It was home to hundreds of people who Korra had never met. "The kids have all gotten so big," Korra mused, "I probably don't know anything about them." The Air Nation was well and truly on its way to being restored, and Korra had missed out on so much of that rebirth. She'd missed so much of everything. "I feel like I'm gonna have to get to know _everyone_ all over again."

Resting her arms against the railing beside Korra, Asami gently nudged her with a shoulder. "What do you want to know?" she asked. "Ask me anything."

Korra chuckled. "Where to start?"

"Work's been good," Asami offered. "It's busy, but in the good way. Future Industries is almost twice as big as we were when I took over. We've bought a couple smaller companies and got more involved in the construction industry. And we're about halfway done on phase three of the street restoration. The new overpasses are my designs."

"I saw those," Korra chimed in. "They're impressive."

"Thank you," Asami said. Shyly. As if she'd never been complimented on her work before, which Korra knew was impossible. Asami bit her lip and studied the dark, vibrant clouds bathed in sunset. "What else…" she exhaled. "I visit my dad to play Pai Sho once or twice a week, when I have the time. I got to build a park, I dated a few people, Raiko gave me the key to the city. A few other side projects here and there."

The slip about Asami's love life got lodged in Korra's brain, but she tried to push past it. "You made those wingsuits, didn't you?" she asked. Ever since Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo had launched into the sky like a pack of winged lemurs, Korra had been dying to try one out.

She saw a flash of a smirk from Asami. "What makes you say that?"

Korra hopped up on the railing, downing the last sip of her tea. "They're brilliant, they make the Air Nation stronger, and they keep the world safe," she said, gently nudging Asami back. "It has you written all over it."

"I think you know me," Asami reassured her.

A bell rang out from the docks. The ferry signalling that it was nearing the end of boarding. Soon it would return to its slow drift back to the mainland.

Asami turned towards the sound. "It's getting late," she sighed. "I should get going. I promised my dad that I'd visit him tonight."

She actually seemed happy at the prospect of seeing her father. Korra had remembered such pain between them, even before Asami had rejected the Equalist cause. Could a few years of isolation in prison have really changed Hiroshi that much?

"Do you want company?" Korra asked gently. She scratched at a patch of newly dried paint beside her. "I could go with you."

"...Really?"

"You said that he's changed," Korra shrugged. "Maybe I need to finally talk to him." She had clung to her image of Hiroshi Sato, waved him off as a zealot. A madman that Asami was better off without in her life. Korra had nearly derailed her first day back when she'd criticized Asami's judgement, when she'd assumed that her father's motives in reconnecting weren't sincere. Giving Hiroshi a chance was a gesture Korra needed to make to apologize for that.

Asami studied her face, surprised at the offer, but not unhappy about it. "That would...that would be great," she managed out with a nervous chuckle. "Of course you can come."

Korra's decision to run away had made their lives difficult. The time apart could have been too much for both of them. But Asami had proven she was willing to trust that Korra had believed it was the best way to get better. It was only right that Korra offer the same trust.

Stepping back from the railing, Asami turned to the chimes of the bell as the ferry rang out its last warning. It echoed off the Air Temple walls. "Let's go catch the boat," she said, and offered Korra a hand.

* * *

 **Republic City Prison**

The girls stood from their seats as Hiroshi was escorted into the prison's visitor room. It was a large plain box filled with tables and folding chairs, the light of sunset spearing through the windows. It would be night soon, and long past visiting hours.

Korra watched Hiroshi Sato take slow, careful steps, flanked on either side by guards. He had aged more than a decade since she'd last seen him. His hair had gone white, his frame now thin and lean, no doubt from a much simpler lifestyle in his cell. He certainly looked like a different person, but it was in the way that he carried himself, as well. This was a once proud man whose bluster had drained from him from time and isolation. He looked tired, like he had been trapped in a cell for a lifetime, wanton for sleep and hidden from the sunlight.

He met Korra's eyes and held them intently as he neared the table. They hadn't been face to face since the night in his factory underground. There had been such hate in his eyes then. Hate at Korra, at every bender. But that flame had gone out. Now, he seemed more curious than anything else.

Hiroshi returned his attention to his daughter. "Asami," he said, his voice low and gentle. "You didn't have to come again so soon."

Asami gave him a warm smile. "I promised, didn't I?"

That seemed to be enough of a reason, and he quietly sat down across from them at the table. "Avatar Korra," he nodded.

Following's Asami's lead, Korra sunk to her own chair. "Hello, Mr. Sato."

"This is unexpected. Welcome home."

"Thank you," Korra said. She glanced at Asami, who encouraged her with a smile.

It was progress. Civility, at least.

"I suppose we won't be playing Pai Sho this evening?" Hiroshi asked, amused.

"Actually, I had something from work that I'd like to run by you," Asami said tentatively. "That is, if you didn't mind taking a look at it."

There was a flicker of life behind her father's eyes. He slid forward in his seat, leaning in. "Of course. I'm not sure what help I'll be, but I'll do what I can."

Asami pulled a stack of folded paper from her bag and unfurled a massive page onto the table between them. Lines snaked around like street map. Arrows following a path that Korra couldn't even begin to decipher.

"We have an assembly line rolling out next week," Asami said. "I need to shave three to four minutes off the throughput. Production Development has brought it down by two, but at that rate, we won't meet our orders in time. We've been racking my brains over this for days, but I could use a fresh pair set of eyes."

Hiroshi slid his glasses down the bridge of his nose, examining the plan. "Let me take a look." He studied it with a calm, reverent focus.

Asami was struggled to hold back a grin. Trying to hide how excited she was to finally catch a glimpse of her father, the brilliant inventor, the titan of industry, peering out from under the fog.

For a long while, Korra sat patiently as they sunk deeper and deeper into the details of the assembly line plans laid out on the table. Pen scratches and notes were scribbled into the margins as breakneck pace. Steps in the assembly line were shuffled and redistributed. Father and daughter rattled off words and measurements that Korra couldn't follow.

But it didn't matter. Though Korra had resigned herself to waiting on the side, understanding very little of what was being discussed, it was the mood between Asami and her father that was the most engaging.

Korra watched Hiroshi and his attentiveness. He was softer spoken than she remembered. He'd been a bombastic, belligerent man, hell-bent on carving out a perfect, bender-free city. A lot of that fight seemed to have left him. But the drive to problem solve was beyond familiar. With his daughter across the table, it almost felt like looking at a reflection.

"These two are should switch in the order," Hiroshi mused. He turned the plans around to face Asami, tapping feverishly on a group of squiggles. "If the galvanizing process happens first, then both pieces from step nine are prepared for assembly and will reach step twelve within a few seconds of each other. It's a small change, but you notice it when it's taking up time."

"No, no, that works," Asami said. She scratched out a few equations she'd made on her corner of the schematic and rewrote them. "And that gets us to...four minute and five off the total time." She grinned up at her father. "My chiefs are burning oil tonight trying to figure this out for the final run-through tomorrow. If I call them now, they could implement it by morning."

She began to slide her chair back, and Korra scooted over out of her way. Asami hesitated suddenly when she found Korra watching. Looking back at her father, she took a breath and slowly pulled her chair back in. "Sorry," she chuckled. "I got a little excited. It can wait. I promised you time."

"You should call them," Hiroshi insisted. He reached out and rested a hand on hers. "We'll wait."

"Yeah," Korra said. Trying her best to pretend like she understood what Asami was running off to do.

"You wouldn't mind?" Asami frowned a little at Korra, then at her father.

Hiroshi reclined in his chair. "Of course not, sweetheart."

"I'm fine." Korra agreed. "Go run a company."

That got another chuckle out of Asami. "Okay." Her smile returned and she stood up from the table. "I'll be right back, I promise." Her hand darted out to Korra's shoulder, squeezing it few playful times as she stepped away.

Fighting a warm shiver that ran down from her bare shoulder to the tips of her fingers, Korra watched as Asami headed for the door. She looked back a few times, smiling, struggling to look casual and not like she wanted to break out into a sprint after a phone.

Exhaling the shiver away, Korra found herself acutely aware of the sensation of eyes on her. Turning back, she found Hiroshi casting a glance down the hallway, before calmly studying her from across the table.

"Why are you here, Avatar Korra?"

Threading her fingers on her lap, she met his eyes evenly. "I'm here for Asami."

"Are you worried that I'm manipulating her?" he asked, frowning. "You and I both know she's far too smart for that."

"She told me that you deserved a second chance."

That hit him harder than Korra had expected. "Asami said that?" Hiroshi took a long calming breath as a slight mist filled his eyes.

Korra nodded. "And I trust her."

After a moment to compose himself, Hiroshi leaned on his elbows, bringing his hands together on the table. "Not long ago, I read a book titled 'Parting the Sand'. Are you familiar?"

"Never heard of it," Korra said.

He nodded softly, his words slow and measured. "Every choice we make, every expectation we place on ourselves, every little fault and blame we cast to others, places a small weight upon us. Piece by piece, as insignificant as a grain of sand. We don't notice each individually, but they accumulate. A lifetime of sorrow, and stress, and responsibility that we expect ourselves to handle. They are at their most dangerous, and most unbearable, when we have let them pile on top of us. The weight of each small decision, each fearful or hateful choice, builds upon our backs, and before we know it, the weight of a desert has smothered us. Do you understand?"

Korra swallowed, her voice barely audible. "Yes."

She had shouldered so much blame. For letting Zaheer manipulate her, for not recovering fast enough, for not being strong enough to be with her family and friends. It took years for her to learn to let go of all of it, and to learn that life was almost exclusively made of things out of her control.

Hiroshi didn't prod her further. Perhaps he saw a kindred spirit in the regret that seeped into her expression. "I never stopped grieving for Asami's mother," he continued. "And when last you and I spoke, I had let that grief suffocate me. My anger was misdirected, and Amon offered a blunt solution. For a long time, I was so very angry in here." He allowed himself a small, regretful smile. "I thought you had stolen my daughter from me."

Korra watched him trace Asami's handwriting on the paper. All the thought and energy they had poured into it. Together.

"I hadn't lost her," Hiroshi managed out. His voice faltered. "I had betrayed her. Asami had found a better path, and I was not ready to listen to her. I only wanted to make her safe, and strong. But she managed that all by herself, despite my mistakes." He straightened, staring over Korra's shoulder. No doubt Asami was heading back in. "I regret the things I did in the name of my wife's memory," he said quietly. "I'm trying to earn back what's left of my family, Avatar."

"I think you already have," Korra said.

Hiroshi was caught off guard by that. He met her eyes, searching them as if to be sure she was being honest. He nodded softly, silently thanking her for the kindness in her words.

There was no need to thank her, though. It was plain as day by the look on Asami's face that she was truly happy to have her father back in her life.

* * *

 **Docks**

"I see what you mean about your father," Korra offered, sitting back against the hood of the Satomobile. "He does seem different."

Beside her, Asami exhaled a smile. "I'm glad you see it, too," she said. "Finding him again was unexpected. I really want to get this right with him."

Out across the bay, the ferry from the mainland to Air Temple Island was already halfway through the first leg of its journey. Which left Korra and Asami at the edge of the pier, waiting for the return trip as the cool breeze of the coast lulled them into a tired, late night calm.

"I'm really happy for you," Korra said. "I'm glad you weren't by yourself this whole time."

Asami gave her a shrug. "I wasn't by myself," she reminded her. "I had the boys, and Opal. Everyone on the island was always very welcoming."

"And you said you...that you'd dated a few people." Korra absently kicked at the front tire. Trying to look casual.

"I did." Asami's smile was kind.

"I'm sorry," Korra said quickly. "I didn't mean to make that sound like you shouldn't have had...people."

It wasn't fair to assume that Asami would have put her whole life on hold, just because there might have been some shared feelings half a lifetime ago. Of course she had dated. She was beautiful, and kind, and daring, and brilliant. Who wouldn't have jumped at the chance to be on her arm? It wasn't like Korra had gotten up the nerve to say how she'd felt before she'd left. And before that, world peace had been hanging in the balance. When the entire planet was at risk, wasn't it Korra's job to choose the bigger picture over her feelings?

But the world would always be spiraling off towards some doomsday. There would always be bullies, and tyrants, and evil in the world. The Avatar would always be needed. Did that mean that Korra would never deserve a chance at happiness?

Her nails fidgeted against the hood. Tapping out some anxious rhythm as her brain did backflips. "I just mean…is there someone...now?"

"No," Asami answered, staring out at the water. "Since the first letter you sent me, there hasn't been anyone else."

Korra managed to look up at that. More than a year had passed since she'd first managed to get words on paper. The first letter to Asami had been all pent up honesty. Finally being able to vent her fears had been a relief. But then, progress had stopped. She was afraid she was too damaged. She'd resolved to stop being a burden, to seek out her own answers. And with each letter Korra had sent, she had told more and more lies. Retreating back into that safe space where she could pretend that everything was fine.

And all that time, had Asami been waiting for her? Assuming that any day now, Korra would come home, and they could talk.

How much had Korra managed to hurt her?

"I never wanted you to be lonely," Korra said, the words barely coming out. "I'm so sorry."

"It's fine," Asami insisted, her eyes concerned. "I was fine."

"I wasn't," Korra admitted. "There was always too much time to think. I was worried I'd messed everything up by running off how I did. I didn't know if you'd forgive me, or...or if you missed me."

Asami's hand slid across the hood and found hers. "Every day," Asami breathed.

The pulse in Korra's ears began to pick up as their fingers slowly threaded together. Holding firm.

For a while, they didn't speak. Just listened to the echoes of the evening. The bell of the ferry boat ringing out across the bay as it began its slow trip back from Air Temple Island. The gentle rumble of the bay ahead, the breeze off the coastline, the bustle of streets and car horns drifting in from the city behind them.

"Korra, why are we waiting for the ferry?"

She had fallen into the warmth and distraction of Asami's hand, tracing lines with her thumb. "Hm? What do you mean?"

With a shiver, Asami clamped her other hand on top of Korra's to stop it from moving. "You don't normally take it," she laughed. "Not on your own, at least."

It was then that Korra remembered that the ferry was a half hour trip each way. She'd always been able to lap that distance in minutes. "Uh, yeah," she chuckled, pulling her hand back self-consciously. Rubbing at her pant legs. "Sorry. Don't know why I forgot that." _Definitely had nothing to do with wanting to stay out here with you as long as I possibly could._

Asami raised a brow, unconvinced, but her smile held. "I have a board meeting early in the morning," she said gently.

"Shoot, that's right. And your assembly lines. Here I am wasting your precious time for sleep." Korra slipped off the car hood.

"Never a waste," she insisted.

Korra smiled and offered Asami a hand up. She gingerly took it and together they pulled her to her feet.

"See you tomorrow?" Asami asked. She hadn't let go of Korra's hand yet.

"Absolutely." Korra nodded. Her fingers slowly explored Asami's palm, careful not to tickle her again. Every time they touched now, it felt like her skin had discovered new nerve endings. There was something so easy about this. How could something like holding a hand feel as vital as breathing?

"Thank you again for coming with me tonight," Asami took a step into their shared space. "It meant a lot."

"Y-you're welcome." Korra watched Asami's hand drift up to her face. Heat rose up to meet it. Her skin hummed at the contact. Words caught in her chest, along with any air that was left. Korra could only stare as Asami gently leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek.

The moment lingered for a heartbeat or two at most. But Korra froze. Her eyes drifting closed at the warm, distracting softness of Asami's skin. Her mouth. One more step and Korra could be against her. Closer.

"Goodnight, Korra," she whispered gently as she pulled away, her breath hot against Korra's skin. Bumps broke out in the rush of the by-all-accounts chaste kiss.

Before Korra's hands could remember that they wanted to hold her, Asami stepped back, her smile never faltering. She must have seen the hard blush that had broken out over Korra's face. That knowing, pleased smirk almost killed her right where she stood.

Korra swallowed hard, trying to will her face to show any emotion other than dumbstruck. "Goodnight," she murmured.

It took a minute for Korra to regain control of her brain. She watched Asami slip into the driver's seat, backing the Satomobile out of its place on the pier. Korra caught her eyes every so often. The last glimpses of tail lights disappearing into the traffic brought her back into reality.

Korra shuffled back a few steps. She wandered backwards towards the edge of the dock, stared down at the water. Too dark to make out a reflection. A small, insignificant thought wondered if there was lipstick on her face or not.

She couldn't hold back the grin that had started creeping up. Her face was still warm, still thrumming where Asami had kissed her. A jolt of energy had crawled up her spine, settling across her entire body. How in the world was she going to manage to sleep tonight?

Turning on her heel, Korra fell backwards, her chest fluttering with something that could have been a laugh. Cold water surged around her as she plunged under the surface. The bay was freezing at this time of night. But it did nothing to chill the warmth that she felt in every particle of her body.

This girl.

* * *

 _ **Thank you for reading, please review and comment!**_


	7. Precipice

**(Book 4, episode 12)**

* * *

 **Future Industries Tower**

The world only spun faster, out of control.

Leaders of the Air Nation and the Metal Clan had assembled in the workroom, strategizing and working out logistics for the next attack on Kuvira's massive mechanical superweapon. Guerrilla tactics had only slowed its rampage, not stopped it. And Varrick's electromagnetic pulse, though a brilliant plan, would only give them a few minutes more breathing room. Soon, another battalion of Kuvira's mech forces would storm Future Industries Tower to wipe out their resistance.

"Moving to the next brace," Hiroshi announced quickly beside her. She nodded, mimicking her father's motions as they retrofitted cutting plasma saws onto her hummingbird aircraft. She focused on every detail of the installation. Quick, smooth, precise. The values that Hiroshi had instilled in her as a child.

Korra's voice echoed through the room as she doled out orders. She was acting every part the general. Gathering her friends around a map of the city, assigning teams to different neighborhoods. Tracking the movements of Kuvira's mech giant. Assessing what structures were expendable, what buildings they could best use to their advantage to slow down the self-proclaimed Empress and her rampage, while causing the least amount of destruction possible.

No one harbored any delusions about the battle ahead, though. Any destruction of their city would be too much. Kuvira wasn't interested in peace; she wanted submission, and she wanted the Avatar destroyed. If leveling Republic City was how she could achieve that, then no one was safe within the city limits.

Asami forced herself to concentrate on her work Avoid looking for Korra. There was too much riding on getting these modifications done. She and her father needed to tear into the platinum shell of the mech, or Kuvira would be untouchable. Asami had to focus. One glimpse upward, and her concentration would crumble under the weight of worry and panic that was filling any available space in her brain.

Daw the airbender scout burst into the workroom. "Kuvira is headed our way!" he shouted.

Korra turned back to the hummingbird and called out to Asami. "How long will it take to get the plasma saws ready?"

Asami clenched her teeth a little, finishing the last stroke of the solder before switching her torch off. "Just a few more minutes," she said, surprised by how confident she had managed to sound. All she could feel inside was a tangle of knots in her gut.

"Get out there as soon as you can," Korra said firmly.

With a nod, Asami turned back to her work, her head buzzing. Her hands shaking too much. She clamped down hard on the soldering torch. Her ear half to the conversation, her eyes glued to her work.

"If you do manage to get inside," Baatar Jr winced, "find the engine room. There are two emergency levers. If you switch them off at the same time, you'll cut the power." The outcast son of the Beifong clan had found his way back to his family. It had sadly taken his near death to convince him of Kuvira's true priorities in this war.

"Thanks," Korra said, "We may not be able to beat that thing, but we can slow it down." With a wave of her hands, she urged the teams of metal and airbenders towards the door. "Let's go!"

Mako and Bolin took lead along with Tenzin as everyone began to shuffle to their zones for their final assault on the mech. If Varrick and Asami could pilot their hummingbirds into the mech's airspace without being swatted out of the sky, they might stand a chance of pulling this crazy plan off.

The ground suddenly trembled at the sound of a dull, distance boom. Cold, lumbering steps from Kuvira's spirit weapon. The mechanical giant.

Fear began to creep up over her focus, and Asami had to push down the thought that her last image of Korra would be the back of her head as she ran off to end this war, one way or another. The last moment they shared together would be that night on the dock, relaxed and foolish enough to believe that they had any time to take for themselves. Now, with the city toppling around them, Asami stood on the edge of losing Korra all over again.

That night, Asami had wanted to play it cool, playful. Pretend for a second that anything about them and their lives could be normal.

There was this little cafe near the edge of the docks. It would have only been a short walk from where they had been waiting for the ferry. At the prison, after her call to her factory chiefs, Asami had checked to make sure that it would be open late. It had these absurd little rickety boats shaped like turtleducks that people could rent to follow the night skyline of Republic City. It was shameless, and sentimental. And all Asami had wanted was to ask Korra out on a date. She'd wanted to wine and dine her. Make Korra feel like a person, loved and wanted. Not just a figurehead on the political stage.

It had been an impulse to instead walk away like she had. High on the rush of kissing Korra on the cheek, feeling her nervousness. Leaving her wanting more. It had seemed romantic at the time. Asami Sato, the charmer, the beautiful heiress with style and grace to spare. She hadn't felt like that girl in so long.

But then an army had marched to their front door and demanded that the mighty Avatar bow her head while they invaded her city.

In all the carnage, the little cafe might not even be standing anymore.

The plan had always felt silly. Now, it didn't seem right to even think about when they couldn't be sure that they'd survive to see nightfall.

As the workroom began to empty, Asami risked a glance up. She found Korra's eyes staring back at her from the doorway. Hesitating. This confrontation with Kuvira had been weighing on her for so long, looming over her ever since Korra had returned. But the Avatar could not afford to be unsure right now.

It only took a beat before Korra began to march towards her.

Asami got to her feet, readying herself to get Korra back into focus. To remind her of the plan. To assure her that she was strong enough to deal with this. Korra needed to know how many people were behind her, supporting her.

"We'll be ready," Asami promised, but didn't get another word in as Korra nearly collided with her, throwing her arms over Asami's shoulders and pulling her into a tight hug.

Asami felt fingers slip into her hair, gripping the back of her neck. Shivers broke out down her spine. Korra squeezed. Asami welcomed a moment of solid comfort against her. She pulled closer, locking her arms together at the small of Korra's back. An aching, nervous pressure built up inside her. Was this the last time they would hold each other?

Hands still bracing Asami's neck, Korra managed to pull away a few inches. Keeping her close. They silently held onto each other, eyes locked. Trying to block out everything else around them. The burning sear of metalwork, the crash of marching out in the hallway, the quiet, persistent thud of the mechanical monster in the distance.

There was so much that could go wrong with this plan. There were so many people out there, in danger. Strangers, friends, family. Relying on both of them to be strong, to be brave. Asami realized that Korra must feel responsible for each and every one of them. Without a second guess, she would throw herself headlong in the path of danger to protect them.

A fresh, new panic bloomed up into her throat. Korra was a hero, not because she was the Avatar, but because she would put her life in danger to protect just about anyone. There was nothing Asami could do to keep her safe from that kind of selflessness.

Far off rumbling shook the air and the tower around them. It was getting louder. Dread swelled up in her. They could run away, right now. Leave Republic City behind and just survive. Together. It was a petty, cowardly thought. It wasn't how either of them wanted to live their lives. If they had a few hours left, they were going to spend it doing what was right.

Asami grasped Korra's arm, closing her eyes. Trying to keep hold of this little pocket of quiet. Despite all the shouting around them, the bustle of war, she had never wanted to be anywhere more than here at this moment.

She didn't want to have to think back on the memory of Korra holding her. She wanted to always know this feeling. She wanted to live in it.

"Asami…"

At the flutter in Korra's voice, Asami looked up to find wide, ice-blue eyes searching hers.

What about their lives would ever be normal? The nations of the world would never stop needing the protection of the Avatar. Asami would never stop being responsible for the thousands of lives and livelihoods of her company. The millions of lives in Republic City. She and Korra would always have parts to play in the grand scheme of the world. They were not the type of people who got quiet nights and turtleduck boats.

The distant boom came again, rumbling through the room, through Asami's chest.

Asami closed the space between them, gently tugging Korra to her. She needed to silence whatever doubt was about to follow the sound of her name, whatever hesitations. Whatever goodbyes.

There was a moment of stillness as their lips met. The kiss was soft. Delicate, but sure. All the tension in Asami's body relaxed at once, as if she had been holding her breath for as long as she could remember, and only now had remembered how to exhale.

It wasn't until she felt Korra finally breathe that Asami let her mouth drift against hers. The grip on the back of her neck tightened suddenly, and Korra pulled the kiss deeper. All the air fled Asami's lungs, blood rushing out of her skull. Dizziness took over, and she felt her balance slipping, but Korra only held on tighter. She wouldn't let Asami fall.

The ground shuddered gently at a colossal step in the distance, and the sounds of the war came rushing back.

Asami broke for air, letting her forehead fall against Korra's. "They need their Avatar," she said, breathless. She looked up and found Korra's eyes had gone misty.

 **"** Be careful," Korra insisted. She kept her hold on Asami's face.

Asami gave her a thin, defiant smile. "Give her hell."

Returning the smirk, Korra leaned in and kissed her. Firm, like she was the only source of air in the room. Asami melted into her, going a little lightheaded. She clung to Korra's wrists, never wanting to let go.

Another rumbling footstep. The shelves in the workroom rattled at the impact.

It shook Asami back to the present. Though every cell in her body screamed at her not to, she pulled back from Korra. "Go." she urged. The word barely came out over the panic rising in her throat. She swallowed it back down. "We both have work to do."

Korra nodded reluctantly, letting her hands slowly fall. Tightness coiled in Asami's chest once more at the loss. Asami grabbed Korra's arm, desperate to keep hold. When she finally let Korra begin to drift backward, only an inch slipped from her grasp at a time. First her wrist, then her hand, then her fingers. Finally, without the tether of Asami's hold, Korra managed to turn for the door.

Silently following, Asami watched her rush down the corridor to catch up with the others. The cold echo of the marching assault team and the harsh buzz of power generators were suffocating.

"I didn't get a proper goodbye with your mother," Hiroshi said.

Asami felt a blush rise up in her face. She'd forgotten that her father had been in the room just now. She turned to see him climbing from the hummingbird's cockpit. When he reached her side they watched the assault team rush down the hall, Korra hurrying to the lead.

"Should I count my blessings, then?" Asami asked. She chewed her lip, trying to will her breathing to return to normal. It continued to shake, threatening to break into sobs.

"Come here," he said gently, reaching out to her. Asami slipped into Hiroshi's arms, resting her head on his chest. He had gotten so much thinner since the last time they'd hugged each other. It felt foreign, like Asami had been without him for decades, not years. He was gaunt, and tired, and older, but the kind glimmer in his eyes was more than familiar. She had her father again. He was going to help her through this. Through the work they still had to do. Through the battle. Through everything that threatened to drown her. She didn't have to do this alone.

"I love you, Dad," she murmured into his flight suit.

"I love you, too," he said, calmly rubbing her back. After a moment, he pulled back to smile down at her. "See?" he said, "Very easy." He brushed a tangle of hair from his daughter's face. "You'll tell her when you _both_ come back. Understand?"

Asami nodded, wiping stray tears from her eyes. Throwing an arm over her shoulder, Hiroshi pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Good. Now let's go make sure that happens." He handed her welding mask over and they returned to their task.

* * *

 _Thank you for reading! Please Review or Comment. More coming soon!_


	8. To Hold

_In the fallout of the battle with Kuvira, Korra helps Asami deal with fresh wounds._

* * *

 **(Book 4, episode 13)**

Sea winds carried the scent of smoke across the bay.

Republic City was still smoldering.

The deck of the ferry rocked in the stillness of the night. Only the gentle sway of waves and hushed murmurs filled the air. Refugees heading for the shelter of the Air Temple, acolytes and airbenders heading home. Korra, heading for some measure of rest. Once more, she'd managed to reshape the world.

From the aft railing, she watched the bright column of spirit energy blazing out over the skyline of her city. Despite the destruction surrounding it, the portal was beautiful.

She felt the warmth beside her before Asami gently took her shoulder. Korra sighed. "I'm just going to sleep for a few weeks, if that's okay with you," she said, smirking.

Asami managed a thin, patient smile, but it was cracking under the surface. Together they stared out at the city, watching it slowly shrink into the distance.

Leaning into Asami's arm, Korra studied the growing reflecting pools in her eyes. Before the sun had set, Hiroshi Sato had still been alive. He'd managed to save his daughter's life and guarantee the victory of Republic City in one selfless gesture. And for all her effort and bravery, Asami Sato had earned a front row seat to her father's violent murder. For a while, the rush of victory, of finding Korra safe at the spirit portal, had stifled her grief. But as the dust of the battle had settled, the full weight of her pain had begun to seep back in.

It was no wonder that Asami had gotten in an argument at the docks. Losing her composure as she demanded to join the emergency teams and supervise rescue efforts. Her foremen and site captains refusing to let her step anywhere but onto the deck of the Air Temple ferry. Out of harm's way. The deck around them was filled with relief, uncertainty, and exhaustion. Asami was drowning in it.

"They weren't trying to shut you out," Korra said gently. "It's their job to keep people safe. Isn't this what they're trained for? What you pay them for?"

"It's my company," Asami muttered. "My machines out there. My people. And they won't let me help."

"CEO's need to rest, too."

Clamping down on the railing, Asami glared out at the smoke billowing up from the shells of buildings and the wreckage of Kuvira's giant mech. "They don't want me out there in case they find his body," she said softly. The words gripped her throat.

Warm, firm fingers slipped beneath Asami's grip and slowly pried her hand from the railing. When it finally gave way, Korra pulled Asami's hand to her. "Do you feel this? Do you feel me?" She squeezed their hands tight against her collarbone.

Asami nodded vaguely.

"This is solid. I'm right here. And I'll stay right here as long as you need me."

The ghost of a smile touched Asami's lips. "That might be for a while," she breathed, letting composure slip.

"Deal." Korra threaded her fingers tighter around Asami's hand.

They fell quiet for a time. Waves crashing harder against the ferry as they neared the shore of Air Temple Island.

Docking felt like it took hours. All the while, Korra stayed close. Watching the quiet hitches in Asami's breath. The way she would stare at the ground for a long moment to pull herself back together. She was cracking. Minute by minute. Trying to keep everything pushed down inside of herself.

They got off the ferry together. Korra at Asami's side, slowing her pace to keep in step. Her hand drifted to Asami's back, gently leading her across the temple promenade. Staying silent, but close. At the back of her mind, Korra worried that she was treating Asami too delicately, like a child. But every time she looked up, she found tears threatening to fall, and she swore that she was not going to let Asami be alone tonight.

As they crossed a garden towards the women's dormitory, Korra felt Asami take her hand. She held it firmly and they stepped into the dim hallway together. Acolytes were hustling around, distributing bedding and escorting refugees to the dozens of bedrooms.

"We're going to be crowded tonight," Korra said softly. "Tenzin's offered the island as a shelter, and we've got enough space for at least another ferry of people."

Asami didn't answer. Her eyes held straight ahead, avoiding the strangers around them.

Korra slid open the door to her room, and ushered her inside. The quiet thrum of people surrounded them, echoing through the walls. She watched Asami step to the window, her hands pinned at her sides, clenched tight. She was barely holding on. Eyes filling with tears.

Moving beside her, Korra gently ran her hand along her shoulders. Her voice a calm whisper against her cheek. "There's no one else here."

It was all that Asami needed to hear to crumble.

Through all the pain and suffering in her life, Asami had survived. Even in the depths of despair or sadness, she had managed to keep her fears and anxieties mostly in check. She didn't lose herself completely. But this morning, she had let herself hope again. Let herself feel safe. Losing Hiroshi like this…

It had shattered her.

Korra rushed to catch Asami as her knees buckled.

They sank to the floor together. Asami clung to Korra as sobs tore through her. Tears that had been threatening for hours finally fell in a torrent. Her voice broke with a wordless cry.

Korra cradled her, breathing slow and evenly, as though it would somehow calm both of them. When she had faced off against the Red Lotus, Korra had seen her father thrown from a cliff. All through the torture and poisoning and battle for survival, she had believed that her father was dead. Waking up to find him alive had lifted such a heavy weight from her soul.

Asami had lost Hiroshi in the mess of Amon's war and his own twisted sense of honor. Years of struggling to find her feet again, of learning to heal. Then, she had suddenly found him again and reconnected. She had managed to stitch her family back together. Korra couldn't imagine what it must feel like to wake up from the nightmare, only to plummet into another.

Korra's eyes welled up with tears of her own, and she held on tighter. Stroking her fingers through Asami's hair as she cried. Gently breathing her in. Korra could feel every sob as it wracked through her. She was in so much pain. In the moment, Korra could do nothing to make it better. There were no words she could say to soften this. But she could keep holding onto her. Each fresh bout of sobbing dug into her, and Korra finally let herself cry with her.

They held each other in the dark, not speaking. There was nothing to say. This raw grief and pain needed to be felt. Asami knelt, paralyzed on the floor, crying for her father, for the family she would never have again.

Korra wasn't leaving. She wasn't sure that she could leave Asami's side ever again.

* * *

A deep cramp in Korra's neck ripped her from sleep. Late night stillness filled the room. Stretching out a little on the floor, she wincing as her body ached. She was pressed against a leg of the bed. Alone. Asami had been laying against her for so long that Korra felt a sudden chill in her absence.

Quiet splashing came from the bathroom and she turned to find Asami wandering back into the room. Still in her jumpsuit, she patted her face dry with a towel. Asami had washed her makeup off. Skin smooth and free of the dirt and ash of the downtown war zone. Her eyes were still red and swollen, though. She'd been crying on and off for hours.

"Everything okay?" Korra asked, then immediately wished she had bitten the question back. It was idiotic. Simple. Of course nothing was okay.

Seeming to understand what she'd meant, though, Asami nodded.

Korra watched her shuffle back towards the bed, and felt like she was staring. Asami's face was bare, and that somehow felt intimate, like Korra had invaded space she was not supposed to be.

There was a ferocity in how Asami fashioned her makeup. Precise and elegant. Korra had always thought it complimented her perfectly. It matched her fierce intellect, her refined breeding, her confidence.

Asami was always gorgeous. But Korra's favorite thing about her was her eyes. Without the makeup, that green drew even more attention.

"What is it?" Asami said, pausing at the edge of the bed.

What Korra wanted to say was 'You are beautiful,' but now wasn't the time. She wasn't even sure that she could manage a line like that on a normal day. "I don't usually see you without your war paint on," she said instead, risking a smirk as she yawned and stretched out the aches in her muscles.

"Sorry," Asami sighed, "I had to clean _something_ up." She flashed a hint of a smile, and it felt like being given permission to look at her.

Korra returned it softly, and pat the mattress a few times. "Take the bed," she insisted, "I'm happy to camp on the floor." The twinge in her back muscles told a different story, but Korra didn't want to crowd her after everything she'd been through today.

Asami opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. Hesitating.

Catching the look, Korra felt her face grow warm. "Or...we could share?" she ventured.

She got a silent nod at that, and Korra could suddenly breathe again. Prickles spread across her skin. Kicking off her boots, she climbed onto the bed and scooted against the wall, making as much room as she could.

Following her, Asami sat down to gently peel her own shoes off. Still caked with mud and dust. She laid back and sunk into the bed. They were both still in their clothes, on top of the blankets, but far too tired to care. Just lying on the mattress drew out a sigh from each of them.

The mattress squeaked as Asami tucked her bare feet up from the chill of the open air. Without much thought to it, Korra scooted closer and pressed her feet against Asami's to offer some of her heat. Smooth, porcelain skin. She heard Asami exhale a little louder as she turned her back, but she didn't pull away.

Silently, Korra watched Asami's chest rise and fall with slow, even breaths. She wasn't sure what Asami wanted, what she needed, but Korra was content to be a few inches away. From here, she could still feel her warmth, smell her hair. Her hand itched with the memory of holding her.

But they needed sleep. They needed to turn off their brains for a precious few hours and confront the morning with their energy recharged. Korra laid back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Acutely aware of how close Asami was.

Her skin broke out into bumps as the bed shifted. Asami slid over to press her back against Korra's arm. Asami's hand slipped back, searching for Korra's. When she offered it, Asami took hold of it and squeezed for a solid moment. At her hip, their fingers settled into each other.

They lay there, silently holding hands in the dark. They had cried themselves into exhaustion. Through the window, the air still smelled of ash and smoke, like the faint hint of a distant bonfire. The waves crashed against the rocks on the shore.

The smoke, and the waves, and the warmth of Asami's hand, lulled Korra into a heavy sleep that she'd couldn't remember falling into.

* * *

Korra shuddered awake at a tight grip on her arm. Heavy breathing filled the air, and she found Asami sitting upright in the bed, knees pulled up to her chest.

"What happened?" Korra asked, groggy.

Asami was trembling. "I saw him," she managed out through a sob, "I saw the hand come down, I saw his face. He was-"

That look was all too familiar. The year she had been on her own, she had suffered quietly. Alone. Unable to calm her lungs, or quiet her own fearful, wounded mind. Wishing that someone had been there with her to settle the nightmares.

"It was a dream," Korra said gently, pushing herself up. She wrapped an arm around Asami and hugged her. Fingers instinctively reaching out to thread through her hair in smooth, calm strokes. "You're safe."

Asami leaned into the embrace, her head resting against Korra's. "I can still see it. I couldn't save him. I couldn't move, I couldn't..."

"I'm right here," Korra whispered, kissing the side of her head. "Just breathe. That's all you have to do right now. Just breathe."

Taking a slow breath herself, Korra exhaled, waiting for Asami to do the same. All the while continuing to quietly murmur comforts. Promises that Asami wasn't alone. That she was okay. That she was safe. After a moment, the words became a quiet music, and Korra began to hum. It was a soft lullaby from her childhood, a melody that had stayed deep within her and kept her heart close to her mother and to home.

Gently swaying, Korra laid them back on the mattress and continued the gentle song under her breath. Finally beginning to relax, slowly breathing in and out, Asami's grip softened as she sunk into the vibrations of Korra's humming. The quiet music drifted off as they eased back into sleep together.


	9. To Have

**Air Temple Island**

 **(Book 4, episode 13)**

Korra glared into the mirror, futzing with the pins in her hair. Afraid that she was ruining all the work that Asami had put into styling it. But this one stubborn tuft of hair insisted on sticking out, and Korra vowed that she would tame it. She didn't have Asami's knack for presentation or finesse. The last time Korra had decided on a change in her look, she'd just lopped off her hair with a sword. She still hesitated asking for help, though.

Since the night of the battle, everyone had been walking on eggshells around Asami. With the wind knocked out of her by the loss of her father, she was only just starting to recover. Korra hadn't been surprised when Asami retreated back into her work. She had a company to run, after all, and arrangements to make for her father's funeral.

The service had been small and quiet. Few people had attended, despite the media making sure that everyone in the city knew of Hiroshi Sato's valiant sacrifice. However, Asami had not found herself alone that day. Korra had clung to her side. Their friends had all stayed well into the night to pay respect to her father and her family.

Afterwards, Korra had tried to give Asami all the space she needed as she buried herself once more into work.

Republic City was recovering as best it could, as well. Refugee zones were established in neighborhoods with the least amount of damage. Many of the wider streets and massive mansions of the high end districts now housed people from the inner city. Everyone was trying to figure out how to return to normal.

Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding was going to be a welcome distraction for everyone.

After the date had been set, Korra and Asami had chatted on the phone about the ceremony and reception. Korra couldn't remember who had brought up the idea of going to the wedding together, but they had both agreed that getting out of the office would be good for Asami. No doubt Varrick would throw a heck of a party.

"Would you help with a chain on the back of my dress?" Asami asked suddenly. She had slipped behind a paper screen in Korra's bedroom to change.

"Sure." Korra finally lodged the damn bang behind her ear and sighed. "Just remember," she called back, "the only solid plan for today is the ceremony." Hopefully Asami was up for such a busy public event. She hadn't much cared for crowds lately.

"And a dance," Asami reminded her with a light laugh.

The sound was unexpected, and Korra smiled, blushing at the promise she'd made over the phone. "Yes. Right. But after that, if the reception's a bust, I don't want you feel pressured to stay. If you don't feel comfortable, or you want to leave, stand over by the front temple gate and I will come get you."

"Korra, I'll be fine, I promise."

A troupe of rabbits were thumping in Korra's chest right now as she studied herself in the mirror. Varrick had invited a team of seamsters and seamstresses from the Southern Water Tribe to design his groom's suit, and they'd been gracious enough to make something new for the Avatar to wear as well. In fact, they'd been downright delighted.

Korra stared at the fabric of her dress. It reminded her of the South Pole, and the style her mother wore. It was pretty. Traditional patterns in sea blues, though she'd made some adjustments. Her shoulders were bare, showing off her tone. She'd agreed on more ornamentation than she was used to. Korra didn't wear jewelry, typically, but Asami seemed to like that sort of thing. And Korra wanted to look...special. She had consulted only Zhu Li on the dress, hoping to keep it a small surprise. Just like Korra had no idea what Asami would be wearing tonight.

She wanted to do everything she could to make the night memorable, even if Asami ended up calling it a night earlier than planned.

Behind her, the curtain shifted aside.

"You look beautiful," Asami said.

Korra smiled, turning around to show off the dress and find out what Asami had picked out for herself. "Thank you. You-"

Every word at that moment decided to drop out of her brain.

Asami was draped in flowing red silks. Sheer and lovely. The gown touched the floor, swaying with every step. Her hair fell past her shoulders in dark waves. Her lips a familiar, elegant red.

"Do you like it?" Asami asked, the question not quite reaching her eyes, which were gleaming. Her hands traced each other as she watched Korra's face.

Korra was supposed to answer. She had to say something. But her brain was having trouble restarting. Asami always managed to make a statement with everything she wore. Korra didn't quite know what she had expected. Perhaps a dress that said, 'I am finally feeling ready to move on and find some happiness in my life.' Instead, Korra was frozen in place, staring dumbfounded at her best friend whose dress announced, 'I could eat you alive and you would enjoy every single minute of it.'

Swallowing, Korra began to remember how sentences worked. "You look..."

 _Say something better than snazzy, say something better than snazzy…_

"...you look stunning," she got out. Asami's answer was a sweet, happy smile. Korra savored the little victory, and felt like she could finally breathe.

"Thank you," Asami said, stepping forward. Gold bangles at her wrists chimed gently. Folds of gorgeous red silk drifted with the motions of her walk. "Would you mind getting that latch for me?" She pulled her hair to the side, exposing her neck.

Korra's mouth had gone a little dry. This girl was trying to kill her. "Yeah," she said quickly. She shuffled around her, following the path of sheer silk revealing her arms, to the chain at the base of her neck. Asami had already managed to fasten it, but Korra impulsively reached out. Just to double check.

The silk was cool beneath her fingers, smooth as bare skin. Lush. Korra imagined it had to feel just as decadent to wear as it was to touch. "You really look amazing," she breathed, relocking the chain and pressing it flush against Asami's neck. Small gentle bumps broke out along her porcelain skin.

"I'm just trying to keep up with you," Asami murmured, smiling back at her. Korra blushed uncontrollably.

Taking a small step back, Korra took them both in at the mirror. Asami's expression was calm. At ease. That smile had been buried for so long. Korra wondered what exactly had happened to unearth it.

"Are you ready to go?" Asami asked. She offered her hand and Korra instinctively took it. Warmth spreading up her arm.

Korra could not imagine what sort of night lay ahead. Her brain swam in the scent of flowers and spice as Asami led her down the hallway.

* * *

Zhu Li and Varrick's wedding ceremony was beautiful, heartfelt, and bizarre. Rather perfect for the happy couple. As night fell, the party grew into a storm of laughter and dancing. Drinks poured like fountains. Jazz lilted through the air and drew the party onward. Happy smiles told stories and shared in a night of precious normalcy.

Though she reveled with her friends, Korra tried to stay at the edges of the blur, remaining mindful of Asami. Checking her mood, confirming that she still wanted to stay, making sure she was enjoying herself.

Late in the evening, in one of the rare moments she'd let Asami out of her sight, Korra took a seat at their assigned table for a breather. Bolin and Opal were chatting, chairs pulled close and laughing softly to each other, in that intimate way that a couple could close themselves off from the outside world.

Korra grabbed a spot several seats away from them and sipped water. She needed to pace herself. Didn't want to edge too close to her limit on plum wine.

After a moment, she caught an eye from down the table. "Hey you," Opal said, her smile bright.

Bolin perked up and waggled his eyebrows at Korra. "How goes _Operation Party Your Blues Away_?"

Opal ran a hand through his hair. "Keep working on it, honey."

"I think it's going well," Korra said, watching Asami in the distance, drifting into small talk with another guest. The girl's smile was polite and, more importantly, sincere. "I think she's having fun."

"That's great!" Opal chimed in. She took a sip of champagne. "I really love it when first dates go well."

Korra blinked down at her water. "Not a date," she insisted. "I just want to make sure that Asami has fun tonight. After everything that's happened, we owe her that."

That got a suspicious look from Opal. The young airbender leaned closer, resting her face against her palm. "Did you come to the wedding together?"

"Yes," Korra said slowly.

"Are you planning to dance with her?" Opal asked.

Korra shrugged. "I promised I would _try_."

"And you two haven't stopped staring at each other all night."

"What?" Her eyes darted towards the crowd, but quickly snapped back. "We haven't been-"

"No," Opal said lightly, "not a question." Smirking, she reclined in her seat, staring out at the sea of party guests. "For a non-date, that is some suspiciously date-like behavior."

Bolin scooted his seat closer to Korra, hushing his voice under the rush of the crowd and the music. "I'm usually really, really bad at reading stuff like this," he murmured, "but she's got a point."

"Oh." Korra's eyes went a little wide. "What do I do? I didn't want to put pressure like that on her tonight…"

Fighting a chuckle, Opal nodded towards the crowd. "She seems perfectly fine with it."

Korra followed the look towards one of many bars and saw Asami walking towards them, red silk waves cascading with every step. Korra was pretty sure she was never going to get tired of that view.

It was totally possible that Asami began speaking to the table at some point, chatting with Opal and Bolin about the ceremony and all the pageantry at this ridiculously nice wedding. But Korra had refocused her attention on the table. Staring at her water glass in a horrible attempt to look relaxed and not at all startled by how she had managed to stumble into a date with Asami Sato.

A delicately manicured hand drifted into to view, and Korra glanced up to find Asami smiling down at her. "Shall we?"

* * *

The jazz band perked up, pirouetting through songs, dipping in and out of rhythms, all the while filling the air with a lightness, an energy. Asami showed Korra all the steps. They stumbled through the footwork together, catching grins from each other and laughing the whole way. Korra may not have known how to dance to this kind of music, but she was an enthusiastic student. At some point, she even managed to switch lead on Asami during a song. Spinning her by the hand, Korra drew out another bright laugh from her.

It was the first time in weeks that Asami had felt remotely normal. There was still a quiet emptiness in her head, clouding the sun. Reminding her of everything she had lost. But she'd resolved to distract herself with music, food, and drink. Korra being so close helped to take more of the edge off than anything, though, and hopefully she knew how much tonight meant.

A high hat cymbal crashed on a final trill of horn, from Tahno of all people, and the crowd roared with applause. Asami let go of Korra's hand, and they drifted apart. Korra, flushed and grinning like a child, clapped along, throwing a whistle to the band with her fingers.

The band milked the final grace notes of the number for as long as they could. Asami knew all too well the ebb and flow of these sort of events. What the musicians would do to keep the crowd active on the dance floor. How not to overwhelm with too many high-energy songs. She was fairly certain of what was coming next.

Sliding a step closer to Korra, Asami leaned in to combat the noise. "You catch on quick," she chuckled into her ear.

Color began to bloom across Korra's face. "Never hurts to have a good teacher," she said.

Their hands slowly settled into each other.

Asami's smile grew. "As a reward…"

And as if on cue, the drummer tapped his brushes into a smooth, slow rhythm.

"...how about we try something a little easier?" She pulled Korra by the hand, closing the space between them. At the bandstand, piano began to lilt through the applause as horns, winds, and strings settled into a gentle melody just shy of a slow dance.

It couldn't have timed out better if Asami had actually planned it. Moreover, she couldn't think of a prettier sight than a blushing, flustered Avatar. Guiding Korra's other hand to her shoulder, Asami slowly palmed the small of her back. And suddenly the air felt sharper. Her brain swam in the music and the sensation of her partner braced against her.

Same as with the peppier songs, Asami talked Korra through the steps. "Just the opposite of what I do," she instructed, Korra shuffling along with her. "When I go back, you come forward, just like that, right." Asami casually turned them. "And when I press you forward, you step back…" Korra was a little slow catching onto that one, and Asami barely managed to stop before colliding into her. "You step back," she repeated, smirking as she waited. Eventually they fell into sync. "There you go."

For a long time, they danced silently. Asami tried to focus on leading. Just slower than the beat, savoring each turn, each step. Being so close in public was a new sensation. Asami felt exposed out in the middle of a crowd like this. But when Korra would catch her eyes for a moment, unable to hide a smile, it was easy to forget about anyone else on the dance floor.

Korra quietly studied the sheer fabric against Asami's collarbone. "So Opal asked me how our first date was going, and I didn't know how to answer."

As she spoke, warm air spread out along Asami's neckline. She squeezed Korra's hand. "Everything's been lovely so far." Realizing her eyes had drifted closed, she opened them to find Korra suddenly more alert.

"So this _is_ a date?"

Asami fought a smirk. Had she not been shamelessly flirting, complimenting, and wooing her way through this entire night? Or was Korra really so nervous that she hadn't picked up her signals? Maybe she hadn't been putting in as much effort she'd thought.

The Avatar kept stumbling through her excuse. "I wasn't sure if we should call this a date," she shrugged, "or if it would count as our first, or if you were even ready to-"

"Korra," Asami said politely, "I would like this to be a date." She pressed forward, and it took a moment for Korra to back away in rhythm with the song. "Our first, in fact."

"Me too," Korra said in a rush. She visibly exhaled, her body relaxing back into the dance. "I'm glad tonight cheered you up."

" _You_ cheered me up." They slowly drifted closer, holding each other, and Asami rested a cheek against Korra's temple.

Korra's eyes shot to the ground, studying their feet with rapt attention. "Careful. I'd hate to step on your dress," she murmured.

Asami chuckled against her hair. "I'm glad you're so fond of it."

"It's the prettiest dress I've ever seen now that you're wearing it."

Hook. Line. Sinker. Asami couldn't hold back her quiet, kind laugh. "Wow..."

"Oh. I said that out loud." Korra's hand slipped from its perch and masked the bright pink that had flushed her face. "I'm sorry," she groaned, "Wu didn't write my lines tonight, I promise."

"I liked it," Asami said. She tightened her hold on Korra's hand, urging her to come back to her. For a moment, she thought about kissing it, but instead traced the smooth, bare skin of Korra's knuckles. She spoke softly beside her ear. "Thank you for being patient with me."

Korra leaned into her cheek and sunk into the rhythm of their swaying. "You're welcome," she said. "You've always done the same for me."

 _Well, you should do just about anything for the people you love._ The words still clung to her, even now. Holding back.

For the first time that night, Asami noticed everyone carrying themselves with more ease. As though the entire city had just been permitted a long exhale. The immediate danger had passed. She and Korra were, at last, _not_ running headlong towards their likely deaths. A moment of desperately needed peace, and they were both here to enjoy it together.

Weeks ago, they had crossed a line. The memory of Korra's touch was smudged with the violence of that day. A glimmer of hope amid all the fear, and loss, and pain. Asami tried to distill the kiss in her mind. On her harder days, when her father's face haunted her, she'd felt such guilt taking time to think about kissing Korra that day. Holding onto her the night of the battle, her body gentle, her words kind. Everything Asami had needed in that moment. Alone with Korra, she had felt free to break. She was safe, and loved. It was never a question.

Only music filled the air between them, and she breathed Korra in. She felt like home. The world around them may have turned soft and quiet, but her heart was racing and never wanted to stop.

Horns came in on another ballad, and some of the couples on the dance floor stepped away in the break between songs, while others finally joined in. After a moment, Asami realized that she and Korra had lost all sense of momentum. They had begun to only shift back and forth, barely moving their feet.

"We stopped dancing," Asami whispered. Smiling against Korra's cheek.

"Hm?" Korra seemed unwilling to wake up from whatever dream they'd slipped into.

"Nothing," she chuckled. "Never mind."

Holding one another through the next few songs, they continued to sway to the music. Never quite dancing.

Clutching Korra's hand to her chest, Asami clung to this feeling. Memorizing every detail. They had finally found that moment for breath they'd been longing for. That quiet space they had needed to latch onto each other. Asami wasn't sure how she had earned the right to be here in Korra's arms, but she never wanted to leave.

* * *

Eventually, the ache of their feet got louder than the music, so a break was in order. Both Korra and Asami were tired, but relaxed, still holding hands as they wandered back towards the dining tables scattered across the promenade.

They only had a few moments together before Korra was led away by a very enthusiastic Meelo. Asami caught whispers of some plan involving tracking and catching an AWOL Rohan. She shared a final look with Korra, who was all blush and uncontrollable grin, and let them run off to play.

Asami stood casually at the edge of the dance floor. The mood in the air brightened as Tahno put the jazz band through its paces. The energy of the crowd picked up.

She felt a nudge at her shoulder, and found Bolin lifting a dramatic eyebrow at her. "And what was that shameless display, young lady?"

Asami smirked, shushing him. "We were just dancing."

"Uh huh." Bolin eyed her. "The blush really sells it." He laughed when she bumped him back in the arm.

"You made quite the pair out there," Mako said, following behind his younger brother. He was nursing a glass of water with his free hand.

"How are you enjoying the party?" she asked Mako.

Adjusting his sling with a shrug, he gave her a tired smile. "Wu finally hit his limit. So, he's asleep, and I am happy." Mako gestured with his glass in a toast.

"Korra said that he's going to abdicate the Earth Kingdom throne," she said. "That's remarkably mature of him. You should be proud."

"Surprised, more than anything. But...yeah, I am. He's starting to actually think about his people and what's in their best interest."

Feeling Bolin's eyes on her, she sighed. "What, Bo?" she said, still grinning. It seemed she couldn't rightly stop.

"You look happy with her," Bolin said.

Asami hugged her arms, trying to bring back the sensation of holding Korra. "I am."

For a moment, though, her smile flickered. She'd been positively drunk on hope all night. Asami was finally getting exactly what she'd wanted for years; the chance to be with Korra, with no wars or mistakes keeping them apart. The cold realism that had kept Asami's heart safe for so many years had long since thawed. But could she trust the universe to behave, to let her keep this one shred of happiness, after it had already taken so much away from her? Korra was the Avatar. This peace would end someday. Their lives were going to be one battle after another. The portal to the Spirit World, shining brightly at the center of the city, was bound to attract more confusion and calamity than they knew how to deal with.

Chewing her bottom lip, she barely managed to find the boys' faces. "What if-"

Bolin flashed a hand up at her. "Nope, don't want to hear it." He reached down and latched onto her hands. Meeting her eyes head on. "You deserve this."

"You both do," Mako said.

Asami had to fight the pressure of tears behind her eyes. Since the beginning, Bolin had been in her corner. He was one of her best friends and biggest champions. And he was, she suspected, one of the reasons she'd managed to hold herself together all these years. He and Mako were some of the few people in her life to knew how it felt to lose so much family, but to soldier on through it.

Her friendship with Mako had become tempered steel. Through pain, passion, lies, war, and hard work, they had learned to trust each other to the core. They'd grown into adults together, forged lives, took on more responsibility than they had believed they could handle. But through it all, they'd been each other's confidant, and sounding board, and support.

Softly squeezing Bolin's hands back, she cast a smile between him and Mako. She would never be able to fully express how important their friendship was. They had grown into such good men. Tremendously kind and understanding. Two of her favorite people. Family.

Asami wrapped her arms around both of them at once and hugged tight. "I love you guys."

"Hey now," Bolin chuckled, "easy. I'm not sure if Opal's the jealous type."

"Don't care," she muttered into his shoulder.

"Alright, then," he sighed, answering with a bear hug of his own. His voice was gentle and sincere. "I love you, too."

Mako patted her back gently, balancing his water glass. He set it down quick on a table before fully committing to the hug with his good arm.

After a moment, Bolin looked down the rows of tables and slipped out of the embrace. "I must be off," he announced, bowing dramatically, "for I am being beckoned by a fair and lovely maiden."

"Go on, then," Mako teased. He offered a wave to Opal across the room.

"Have fun, Bo." Asami took a seat on the edge of the nearest table. She felt Mako sit next to her and they watched the playful and increasingly exhausted dancing of wedding guests. After a while, they fell into a comfortable quiet.

Mako eventually looked up from the water glass on his lap. "So...you and Korra, huh?"

Asami's expression warmed. "I think so," she said. Her mouth fought against a smile, but lost. "Yeah."

Mako nodded. "I want you two to be ridiculously happy together."

She laughed quietly. "I'll do my best," she promised.

"Good."

It was her turn to stare at her hands. "Mako, when you and Bolin started on your own," she said carefully, "how long did it take for you to feel..." She couldn't quite form it into words. That sad quiet that she had carried with her since her father had died in the battle downtown. Even through tonight.

Mako watched her patiently. Never pressing. He knew how fresh her wounds were.

Taking a breath, Asami finally managed, "...for you to feel like there was solid ground under you?"

"A long while," he nodded, chewing on the question a little. "Having people makes it easier. There were plenty of distractions at our age: I had to work, Bolin needed looking after. But having people you care about to share the load; that's better, I think."

Even on her good days lately, Asami could feel the sudden sensation of drowning. The memory of her father's death taking over her lungs and gripping them in a vise. But Korra seemed to calm that feeling. No matter how long it would take to pull herself back up to dry land, Asami knew she wouldn't have to do it alone.

"Thank you, Mako." Her voice caught in her throat.

He rested a hand on hers and held on. "I love you, too," he said, his smile warm. "I hope you know that."

"I do," she said. Grateful, not for the first time, that they had managed to stay in each other's lives for the last three years.

"Asami!"

Varrick's voice rang out across the sea of guest tables.

She barely managed to stand and turn before she was set upon by their eccentric groom. Hand raised to his eyes as he scoured the promenade.

"Where's Tenzin?" he asked briskly. "I need to pitch an idea to him. Groom's request of the host, and if he doesn't follow through with it he has no honor whatsoever and he'll be hearing all about it on my comment card."

Asami blinked. "Pardon?"

"Varrick," Zhu Li droned, following her new husband patiently in her gorgeous white silk, "you cannot jump off the building,"

"Of course not, darling. I wouldn't _never_ do something like that without proper safety precautions." Propping his hands on Asami's shoulders, he looked her dead in the eyes. "Do you know if the airbenders have a spare wingsuit lying around?"

Her eyes cast over to Mako to make sure she was sane right now, but only got a shrug from him. "I'm not sure that's such a great idea," Asami muttered.

Varrick waved her off. "Never mind, I'm sure there's a fellow my size who'd be willing to let me borrow one. I'll make it work!" He wandered back into the crowd, Zhu Li casually following him the whole way to make sure he didn't get himself killed.

Mako leaned in to Asami. "Maybe you should go find Tenzin before something bad happens."

Asami nodded, scanning the wedding for any sign of the airbending master.

"Over there," Mako said, pointing out towards the front gate of the Temple. Korra stood there against a pillar, looking out at the bay with Tenzin.

The gate that had been meant as Asami's signal for when she wanted to leave the party. How long had Korra been waiting there?

Sliding off the table, she turned to Mako. "Try to slow Varrick down a little, will you?"

"Sure. You go cut in," he smirked, squeezing her hand quickly. "Maybe you two can make a break for it while Tenzin's distracted."

There were times, despite all evidence of his premature grumpiness, that Mako revealed himself for the hopeless romantic he really was. Asami kissed him on the cheek and shuffled through the thinning crowd.

As she approached the Temple gate, her steps slowed. Korra looked so beautiful. And she had taken such time and care to make sure Asami had enjoyed the evening. The Avatar, Master of the Elements, had decided that there was nothing more important tonight than making Asami feel safe and happy.

How much more could Asami fall for this girl? This bright and playful, strong and powerful, force of nature of a girl.

She kept her pace casual, letting Korra and her master share their moment. The two had not seen much of each other since getting back to Republic City. Asami never wanted to deprive her of quality time with her loved ones. Family had become a vibrant beacon of light in their lives. Vital to cling to and keep close.

Admittedly, the prospect of a quiet sanctuary from the wedding crowd and the looming threat of Varrick attempting a nose dive off the temple both quickened her steps a bit. She cleared her throat gently as she got closer.

"Excuse me, Tenzin…"

* * *

 _"I've always wanted to see what the Spirit World's like."_

 _"Sounds perfect."_


	10. The Calm

Wedding guests had begun to shamble through the halls of the Air Temple. All searching for open beds and precious sleep as the moon crept low in the sky. Night was already giving way to the dim, early morning. Korra craved sleep.

Sliding her bedroom door closed, she slipped off her dress and laid it out on a chair. It was beautiful, she'd decided, and even more so now that it brought back such happy memories. Her date with Asami had knocked her off balance. Years spent trying to understand their feelings for each other, and in one wonderful evening, they had decided to run away together. Korra didn't know when, exactly, but soon it would be just the two of them, off to the Spirit World. Off to something new.

But it was late, and Korra longed for something familiar. She tugged on her pajamas in a daze. Cracking her back with a sigh, she threw a shirt over her head. She was beyond sore, but her sleep clothes were baggy and soft. Blissfully comfortable. Through a thick, exhausted haze, every ounce of Korra's body begged her to lay down.

She battled the heaviness in her muscles as she shuffled towards her bed. Streams of moonlight cast deep shadows across the room and illuminated a patch of hardwood floor ahead. Before she reached her mattress, Korra began sinking to her knees. She stretched out on the cool floor, gazing up at the ceiling with a smile.

Echoes of jazz music still rang through her chest. Asami's smile etched into the back of her thoughts. The lilt of Asami's laughter after they risked a spin on the dance floor. Any dreams that Korra managed tonight were going to be lovely. A dull, oddly pleasant ache began to set in as she felt herself drifting into glorious sleep.

"That didn't take long," a warm voice chuckled.

Korra shuddered awake.

"You missed," Asami smirked, nodding at the bed. She was still draped in gorgeous red silks, gently shutting the door behind her.

With a long exhale, Korra let her eyes drift closed again. "No, I didn't." She focused on the solid floor under her. Trying to will her pulse to calm down.

Asami's footsteps inched closer. "May I join you?"

Shifting over to make room, she could feel Asami lower herself to the floor. Warm weight spread out over her arm as Asami laid back against it, hair now draped across Korra's shoulder.

The flutter in her chest grew stronger, and Korra suddenly felt very awake. The only thing to do was stare up at the ceiling.

"You're right, this is better," Asami sighed.

With her arm pinned, Korra slowly flexed a hand, acutely aware of every inch of their touching skin. The nape of Asami's neck pressed against her, the rise and fall of her breath, the gentle brush of her hair.

It was like trying to ignore the sun.

Tucking in closer, Asami rested her cheek against Korra's bicep. Her smile was lit by the moonlight. Even lovelier than at the party, because now it was only for Korra to see. Another wave of warmth rippled out as their skin touched, warming each other.

 _I want to be with her,_ Korra thought suddenly. _I want to keep making her happy like this._

Asami's smile faded in and out for a while. Korra almost asked what she was turning over in her brain so fiercely, but a soft question cut her off.

"What if we left tonight?"

Korra smirked at that. "Sure. We can tell Tenzin and the others at breakfast, and-"

"No," Asami said gently, "I mean now."

That was fast. Very fast. It wasn't as if Korra didn't love the idea of running off together for an adventure. It was romantic, and exciting. But Asami hadn't seemed like the impulsive type since inheriting an entire company.

"Is there a hurry?" Korra asked carefully. She didn't want to seem uninterested.

"It's quiet right now," Asami sighed, "but it never lasts for long." Korra followed her gaze to the window, and they took in the stillness of early morning. "We always manage to stumble into crisis after crisis. If we wait too long, it's bound to happen again. In the next week, or the next day…"

Asami pushed up onto her elbow and studied the ornate jewel still banded around Korra's arm. Focusing on it, tracing it with her fingers. "Every time I think that this is going somewhere, some disaster jumps ahead of us. I don't want to lose any more time."

Korra's arm drifted up the edges of the red dress. Following the smooth fabric up Asami's spine, across her shoulders, barely grazing the soft skin at her neck.

Glancing up, Asami seemed unsure what to make of the quiet grin she found.

"Can I kiss you?" Korra asked.

The room fell silent, but not still. Korra's pulse thudded in her chest as she patiently waited. She could feel the gentle thrum of their heartbeats mixing in the air.

Asami bit her lip gently, utterly failing to hide a smile. She nodded.

Now with permission, Korra's hands delved into lush dark hair and gently pulled Asami's mouth to hers. They both inhaled, breathing each other in. Asami let her weight fall against Korra as they both sank into the kiss. It was lazy, half-awake. Relaxed. No panic behind it. No fear, or rush.

For all the urgency that Asami had insisted on, Korra could only think, for once in their lives, that the world would wait for them.

Air filled Korra's lungs sharply as a hand traced down her shirt, slipping under the fabric to grab hold of her side. Keeping her close. All the blood rushed to Korra's head and she grinned into Asami's mouth, kissing her harder. It was too easy to get lost in this. If the floor was not already solid under her, dizziness would have knocked her back. She held Asami's face, thumb brushing lightly against her cheek.

Korra could hear nothing but labored breath, the light shuffle of fabric, the blaring silence that came from blood pumping hard in her ears.

When their lips finally surfaced for air, they barely parted, softly moving against one another.

"I'm in love with you," Asami breathed.

Korra's lungs were ragged, but she managed a light chuckle. "Huh."

Asami blinked at her. Her eyes had gone glassy. "What?"

"Nothing," she shrugged, her smirk growing. "I mean, I knew that I was a good kisser, but-"

Asami squeezed at Korra's ribs with a laugh, only to have her face held firmly by two warm hands. Korra pulled her close again, framed by the veil of Asami's hair draping down around them.

"I love you, too," Korra whispered. Her heart ached at the words. She melted a little at the sight of happy tears in Asami's eyes, and brushed them away. "I want this," Korra insisted softly. "I want you."

Holding onto the hands at her cheeks, Asami nodded. "Me too."

"If it's what you want, I'm happy to leave tonight," Korra said, smiling. Her hand had begun to wander across Asami's back. She allowed herself a moment to take in the view: this caring, beautiful, and powerful woman draped over her, unsure what to say or do. Asami was actually nervous around her. As though it were possible for Korra to be anything less than head-over-heels.

"Thank you," Asami said gently. Pressing Korra down by the shoulders, she leaned in to kiss her again.

Everything was so soft, and warm, save for the solid wood floor beneath her. Korra felt herself practically sinking into it. She clung to the kiss, but Asami slipped from her grasp and hustled for the door. "Let me make a few calls. Don't move. I'll be right back."

Korra rested back limply against the floor, and closed her eyes. "Yes, ma'am…"

The door slid shut behind Asami, leaving the room in a hush.

Every inch of Korra's skin buzzed. Her stomach fluttering. Had she just woken from a dream? A moment earlier, Asami's hands had been exploring her, clinging to her. It felt as though Korra's brain had been rewired. She needed to be kissing her again. More than she needed sleep right now. More than she needed air. The veil of self-consciousness and doubt had fallen away. A blinding pressure pulsed at the back of her skull. She couldn't stop smiling.

 _I'm in love with you,_ Asami had said.

The words clung to Korra's chest, bright and shining. It hadn't been some mournful goodbye, or parting words before trudging off to war. It was a promise. It was a future.

"Are you going to actually pack?"

With a quick inhale, Korra's eyes shot open. Had she fallen asleep?

Asami stood over her again, now wearing her driving jacket. Gingerly, she lowered a bag to the floor beside Korra's head. All packed and ready to leave.

The shock to her nerves subsided after a moment, and Korra managed a sigh. "I distinctly remember being told not to move," she teased.

Asami tried to hold back a chuckle under her breath as she sat on the bed and waited. "I was encouraged to take however much time off I need," Asami told her. "They were surprised I hadn't taken leave before now."

"You could have, you know," Korra said.

There was a flash of something playful behind Asami's eyes. "But it wouldn't have been with you."

Words failed her, yet again. Korra could only stare up at this beautiful woman who made her brain stop working. Who was in love with her. That pressure at the back of her skull throbbed again. As though her subconscious was now shouting at her to stop grinning like a fool.

"How about you?" Asami asked. "Are you going to give an official Avatar leave-of-absence?"

"I'll leave a note," Korra shrugged. She reached up vaguely with her hand, flexing it a few times.

After a second, Asami caught the hint and took her wrist to help haul her up. The blood rushed to Korra's head too quickly, though, and she wobbled on her knees. Reaching out to the mattress for purchase, she instead found Asami's hips and held on for dear life, kneeling in front of her. Korra squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the lightheaded fog to pass.

"Careful," Asami chuckled, bracing her just above the waist. "Are you okay?"

Slowly, her head began to clear and her legs regained control. Korra glanced up and found herself face-to-face with loveliest blush she had ever seen.

Asami's thumbs had begun to stroke her sides in slow, tentative circles, and a jolt of warmth and excitement filled Korra's lungs. She gently reached out to brush a strand of hair behind Asami's ear. That little movement enough to make them both breathe in with a flutter.

Korra's hand hovered at her cheek, unsure if she hadn't dreamt that kiss. "Can…can I-"

"You don't have to ask me again," Asami breathed. Wrapping her arms around Korra's back, she gently pulled her forward.

When their lips met, Korra took a long inhale of a world that suddenly felt perfect again.

Her hands delved back into Asami's hair. Taking gentle grip. Slowly, Korra climbed onto her feet, and stood above her. Resisting the instinct to push forward onto the bed. "Is this okay?" she whispered, struggling for air.

Nodding quickly, no words, Asami tugged her back into the kiss. The momentum drove them back onto the mattress.

As she fell, Korra propped herself up her palms. "We really should go," she laughed. The bed squeaked as she sank down into a push-up, planting a kiss beside Asami's mouth. Her laughter grew stronger at the petulant groan she got for an answer.

Asami was fighting back a grin, though. "Really?" she grumbled, mouth trailing along Korra's jaw. "Right now?"

For a moment, she almost gave into it. Arms locked and shaking on the bed, Asami's mouth trailing against her skin…

But Korra steeled herself, twisting out of her grasp. Before hopping from the bed to change and pack for their vacation, Korra reached out to hold her love's face.

"I can't wait to show you everything."

* * *

 **The Spirit World**

Asami held tight to Korra's hand as they stepped through the spirit portal. Deep vibrant blues and purples filled her vision. The sky stretched out around them in a tapestry of color and light. In her mind, the roar of battles past and the crowds of Republic city dulled to a gloriously soft murmur.

They stood at the center of a great silent impact crater. Their shadows long against the blazing portal behind them. Dark earth and dust rippled out in gentle rings, the remnants of the explosion that had torn open another gateway between the spirit and the physical realms.

She had heard stories from Bolin and Mako about the Spirit World. Tales of vicious monsters and specters, of unbridled wilderness that felt like stepping foot on another planet. They had fought for their lives against Korra's uncle Unalaq in some barren rocky wasteland that pulsed with dark energy. Danger and death had threatened them with every step.

This was not that desolate place.

At the crater's edge, tiny flower buds peppered the waves of dirt. First only a scattered few, but as the ground began to smooth out, the ripples faded into a lush field of flowers. She felt her hand pulled as Korra began to lead her into plumes of vivid pink and green.

Surrounding them were sharp peaks of ice that pierced the sky, jutting out of the earth like shards of glass. They loomed higher than any tower in Republic City. Frighteningly massive, uncarved by human hands and yet smooth as the edges of monuments.

Her eyes drifted upwards, and followed massive forms gliding through the still night air. A herd of gargantuan spirit creatures lumbering along like whales in the sea.

Among the waves in this valley of flowers stood thick, bald trees. Their branches twisted upwards like knotted roots, curling and gnarling towards the sky. They were columns that seemed to hold the weight of the Spirit World on their boughs.

Here, the world was serene. Calm.

Asami's steps soon began to slow, pulling back against the tug of Korra's hand. She took a long, slow inhale. The air was soft. No temperature to it. As if time itself stood still in this place.

"Is everything okay?" Korra asked.

Without a word, Asami knelt into the flowers and grazed her hand along their edges. Cool to the touch. A glow reflected off her own skin as she passed over them. Her smile grew. Above, there was no moon to be seen. The field itself was shining. Stretching out for miles in every direction. Bright starlight cresting through the valley.

"They're giving off their own light," she grinned.

Korra crouched next to her. "The Spirit World's got a lot of things like this."

"They're bioluminescent," Asami explained, her eyes bright. "It's a biological process, not spirit magic. I've heard reports from the Fire Nation that they have coral reefs off the coast that do this. Glow like the Southern Lights, but under the ocean." She traced flower petals with the tips of her fingers, entranced by the light emanating from inside them. "Maybe it's a remnant from when the worlds were connected," she mused. "Some vestigial biology from a shared ancestor…"

She felt Korra scoot closer to her. "So...good vacation?"

Reaching out, Asami pulled her in by the straps of her pack and kissed her. "Great vacation," she corrected, watching Korra's smile go a little lazy. She leaned in and kissed her harder. How had she survived for years without getting to do this whenever the impulse struck her?

As they kissed, the air was still around them, but the flowers had begun to gently sway. As though a breeze had cascaded through the valley.

The motion caught Asami's eye, and her attention drifted back to the glowing plant life. It was mesmerizing.

"You couldn't turn your brain turn off if you tried," Korra chuckled.

"What?" Asami glanced back. "No, look. Turning my brain off," she promised. She kissed Korra again, punctuating her words as she sat down among the flowers. "Brain now off. I promise."

"I'm just teasing," Korra admitted softly. She sat down with her and resumed her new habit of pushing Asami's loose hair behind an ear. "You get to set terms for what 'fun' is on this trip, okay?"

With a wry smirk, Asami threw an arm around Korra's neck. "Done."

* * *

They were rarely alone after venturing past the portal. Spirits roamed the landscape, curious about the pair of humans exploring their home. Herds of creatures loomed over like giants, while others scampered at their feet, small enough to fit in a palm. Filling the world with their own color and light. All shapes and sizes, some resembling animals back home, others that seemed to have jumped from the pages of storybooks or dreams.

Asami would regularly find herself compelled to sit down and sketch them, while Korra happily made her own entertainment. Chatting with spirit animals, or racing with them. Once, upon encountering a pair of jackalope with wild colorful mushrooms sprouting from their antlers, the mighty Avatar challenged them to a contest of handstands and somersaults. The bright orb of otherworldly sunlight had dipped beneath the horizon before they could figure out the winner.

Day and night began to lose their meaning. The sun and the moon danced around each other on a whim, never settling into any logical rhythm that Asami could follow. They hiked beside the mountains of glass for a couple days, by her estimation. Eventually, the valley opened out to the massive forest of the Spirit Wilds.

* * *

At the base of a mountainside, this one made of stone, Korra planted her feet into the dirt. A few motions of force with her hands, and she had carved out an alcove in the rock. Fire suddenly flashed from her palms, as she twirled them in a quick figure eight. The rock glowed a dull orange.

Asami patiently watched from several steps away. The blast of fire was palpable even from here as she rubbed at the ache in her eyes. Darkness had actually coincided with the need for sleep today.

Stepping lightly on her toes now, Korra gathered the wind around her in a sphere, capturing the chill of the air. She traced the contours of the little makeshift cave and the orange glow of the walls began to fade and cool.

Korra turned back to her with a grin. She was showing off.

"Looks cozy," Asami smirked.

"That's the idea," Korra said, brushing her hands together and admiring her work. "And it faces out so you can still enjoy the view."

"Right..." Asami crouched at the edge of the alcove, studying it with a hint of hesitation. "About that. I'm having a bit of a problem."

"What's wrong?" Korra lowered herself down beside her.

"Everything here is so beautiful, and fascinating..." As Asami spoke, she brushed stray bangs from her Avatar's eyes. "But all I want to look at right now is you."

Korra's face flashed a bright pink. "You're way better at those than me," she chuckled, blushing furiously as Asami leaned in and...stopped. Waiting. Less than a heartbeat passed before Korra gave in to that gorgeous smile and closed the rest of the space between them.

They spent another day or so not exploring much at all. At least, as far as the countryside was concerned.

* * *

It was still dark when Korra woke up to a cool spot beside her on the bedroll. How long had she been sleeping alone? Hauling herself up with a quiet groan, she found Asami sitting in the grass a few yards away, facing out over the hilltop.

It was barely the crack of early morning, and Asami was engrossed in her journal. She had taken a spot among a circle of luminous spirit flowers, sketching something on the page. Her hair cascaded loose down her shoulders, her legs wrapped in a warm blanket. And apparently she had slipped into Korra's parka.

"That looks nice on you," Korra murmured, trying to unknot her tongue.

Asami nestled tighter into the coat and glanced over her shoulder. "It was the easiest thing to throw on," she lied. They both knew that with the perfect weather they'd been having, the parka had been crammed into the bottom of Korra's knapsack since they'd arrived.

Kneeling down, Korra tucked her chin in the fur at Asami's neck. Arms wrapping around hug her from behind. She hummed into the soft velvet fur that welcomed her. Nearly the best feeling in the world. "This is even comfier from this side," she sighed.

Squeezing back in the hug, Asami turned her head and took a quick inhale of the collar. She smirked from behind the fur lining. "It smells like you, too."

"What are you working on there?" Korra asked, studying the journal. Long spirit vines now twisted along the base of an old sketch of Avatar Korra Park. Flowers dotting it every few inches.

"I was thinking that maybe next time we're here, we take some cuttings. Nothing too invasive. I want to try transplanting some of the flowers to Republic City. If they take to the environment, we might be able to use them for nighttime lighting in less populated areas. The ones that are already overrun with spirit vines. Parks, waterways..."

Korra smiled down at the drawing. "Sounds beautiful."

"It would lower the city's energy costs, too," Asami added. "Rather than needing to rebuild that infrastructure, we can work with the spirit flora that's already there."

Korra nodded. "It's a great idea. I'll back you up with the City Council if you need it."

"I probably will," Asami sighed. "People are bound to be skittish about harnessing spirit energy. Probably too much fresh history with Kuvira's automaton for this just yet. I suspect it'll need to sit on the shelf for a while."

Korra watched Asami's eyes harden a bit. Not at the prospect of holding off on her city planning, though. It was the first time Korra had heard her say Kuvira's name since the battle downtown. Since her father had been murdered by the self-proclaimed Empress of the Earth Kingdom.

She hugged Asami tighter.

They hadn't spoken about Kuvira's fate after the war. Imprisoned under Suyin Beifong's authority, remorseful for the destruction she'd caused. None of it had seemed to matter to Asami in the wake of her grief. And Korra was not going to bring it up without permission.

"We've got a bit of a hike in the morning," Korra said gently. "Come back to sleep soon?"

Nodding, Asami slowly closed her journal. "How about now?" she offered. Her smile was tired, but genuine.

"Okay," Korra shrugged. With a swift motion, she heaved Asami up into her arms.

"Korra!" she yelped, clambering up to latch onto her neck. A few shaky steps and a kiss to the cheek later, Asami settled into the warmth of her. Laughing as she was carried back to bed.

* * *

Though the weather in the Spirit World had seemed intent on behaving, a week and a half into their trip, it finally rained. A steady downpour blotted out the sun and filled the marshland they were crossing with opaque walls of water. Korra clung to Asami's waist, ushering her through the storm and deep murky puddles. With an arm raised, she held an arc of bended air over their heads, shielding them from the rain if not the humid heat.

"You don't have to do that," Asami chuckled, craning her neck up at the clouds. "It's just water."

Korra squeezed Asami's hip. "What if I just like being all close to you?" she teased, ducking them under a branch.

Their progress halted suddenly as Asami's dug her heels into the muddy grass and turned to Korra.

A now familiar glint her eyes sent lightning across Korra's skin. The storm around them dulled to a muffled roar as cold, soft hands took her face and pulled her into a kiss. Korra's mouth began to move a little and she quickly lost her grip on the air. Rain pierced the shield and spattered against their faces.

Pulling back with a laugh, Asami stared up at the rainstorm, cool water washing down her cheeks. "What if I just want to walk in the rain with you?" she asked gently.

"Okay," Korra breathed, her head swimming, her skin barely noticing the rain. She leaned in for another kiss, but Asami playfully drifted out of reach. Latching onto Korra's hand.

Korra grinned back and let herself be pulled along under the storm.

* * *

In the echoing silence, Asami couldn't stop staring.

"That is the sexiest thing I have ever seen," she murmured.

Stepping up beside her, Korra grinned out at the enormous and seemingly endless stacks of the Great Spirit Library. "I knew you'd like it."

* * *

"Avatar Korra has suffered and survived much for someone so young." Over his tea, General Iroh scrutinized the Pai Sho board between them. "Not unlike her predecessor in that respect."

"You knew Avatar Aang well?" Asami asked, delicately lifting her finger off her chosen tile.

A quiet snore came from the grass beside them. Korra shifted against Asami's thigh, fast asleep for the past hour of their game.

"I counselled him for a time," Iroh shrugged. "As a boy, he always feared that he would disappoint his legacy. Always afraid that he was too young, too inexperienced to defeat the dangers he faced. It took time for him to learn that he carried much more than the weight of the world."

Dropping a hand to her lap, Asami began to thread her fingers through Korra's hair.

Iroh took a deep inhale of his tea. "He carried with him the strength of his friends, his loved ones. The Avatar may have been the bridge between the human and spirit worlds...till recently...but too often history forgets that we all must keep a balance within ourselves. Human connection is just as powerful as spiritual."

Her hand slowed self-consciously as she looked up and met Iroh's knowing smile.

A moment later, he casually returned his attention to the board. As if he had noticed nothing. "My nephew, Fire Lord Zuko, commanded entire fleets of soldiers and wasted many of his best years trying to capture the Avatar. But it appears that you have succeeded all on your own. And with no warships or armies to speak of."

Asami felt the blush rising in her face.

Smiling innocently, he gently lifted the stone kettle beside their table. "More ginseng, my dear?"

"Thank you," Asami smiled, cradling her cup as Iroh poured.

* * *

Korra's hands were cold beneath the blanket. It would have taken a simple firebending gesture to warm them up, but she seemed content to live in the moment. The cold, damp moment.

The bumps across Asami's skin, however, seemed to be more from the hand tracing her eyebrow with focus.

"What are you doing?" she asked, smiling into Korra's palm. Kissing it gently.

"Nothing. Just...memorizing."

Asami glanced down and caught Korra's eyes shining in the ambient light from the spirit trees. Bright enough to be read to. If she'd looked at a book all day, that is. "Do you have another one?" Asami sighed.

Korra considered for a long moment, fingers still brushing across skin. "When did you first know?" she asked. "Like, when were you really sure how you felt about me?"

They had been doing this all night. Asking each other questions. Things they were afraid to ask before, things they never thought to. Now they wanted to know everything about each other.

"When I chose you over my father," Asami said, her voice quiet but firm. She grasped the hand tickling her face and held it still.

Korra perked up at her answer, frowning. "That was a long time ago."

Nodding, Asami scooted closer against Korra and kissed her forehead. They stretched out together on the open grass. "You don't have to answer back," Asami said. "I know it was later for you than that."

"In the desert," Korra chimed.

Asami smirking at her. "With the giant sand monster?"

Korra nodded. "You saved me." She crawled up from under the blanket and kissed Asami. Taking her time. Savoring the wide open quiet around them. "My hero."

* * *

Massive tropical leaves cast green light across the lagoon's surface. A natural haven from the harsh heat of the noonday sun. The water was deep and blessedly cool, descending so far down that it dipped into shadows. Asami took a few more leisurely kicks before cresting up to the lagoon's rocky edge.

Korra was drying in the sun, her legs curled up beneath her. She reached down and casually drew a handful of crystal clear water.

Latching onto the rocks nearby, Asami silently watched as Korra bent the water into lazy circles and shapes in her palm. Bending looked so simple and easy with her. Spirit energy thrummed around her hand, at one with the power of the Avatar. Her wrist turned, slowly and deliberately, and soon the water began to forge a path across her skin. Droplets trailed behind the gentle surge Korra formed around her hand, catching up to gather together with the whole. The handful of water rose above her palm next, and with another gesture she swirled it into a sphere. Another flick and it returned to snaking around her fingers.

Hauling herself up onto the rocky shore, Asami wrung her hair out and took a spot beside Korra. Legs hanging off the edge to slip back into the cool lagoon. She reached out and laid her hand flush on top of Korra's. Careful not to stop her.

"Would you show me?" Asami asked, resting her chin on her Avatar's shoulder.

Korra met her eyes and smiled tentatively. Chewing her lip as she focused on the precise waterbending motions, sculpting beautiful wave-like shapes with the pure water. "Water is movement," she said quietly, lowering a knuckle one at a time. The trail of water coiled around each of their paired fingers, over and under, back and forth. "Movement, and change, and life. To bend it, you can't stop moving."

The motion reminded Asami of juggling a coin with the fingers of one hand. She mimicked Korra's gestures as best she could, grinning whenever the chill of the water grazed her when she didn't move quick enough. More often than not, though, Korra masterfully weaved the water just over their skin as if gliding on the air.

After a moment, Korra turned her hand palm up, and Asami slipped their fingers together. With the momentum lost, and Korra's attention dropped, the water lost its shape and poured across their hands, dripping back into the lagoon.

They held onto each other like that for a long time, watching the gentle waves ripple across the water.

* * *

 _ **Two Weeks Later...**_

Korra and Asami nearly lost track of how long they had been camping and exploring the Spirit World. But food got harder to come by as they delved deeper into the wilderness, and Asami began stuffing her sketchbook with ink-stained leaves and handkerchiefs after her pages had run out. It was time to head home.

They retraced their steps back to the portal, through the Spirit Wilds, along massive rivers, and across mountain ranges of ice. They made plans for many return visits. Each day reminded of how far they'd come together in this place. Holding hands now felt as comfortable as taking a step.

Emerging from the vine-entangled spirit portal arm-in-arm, they found Republic City solid beneath their feet. All concrete and hard angles, blindingly bright and hot in the afternoon sun.

No one was waiting for them at the crater. Korra and Asami hadn't given a timeline for how long they would be gone. Having a little time to decompress without a crowd proved to be exactly what they needed, though, as they slowly approached a wall of noise. Republic City was returning to life, bursting with cars and people.

Entire blocks were cut off from traffic and filled with refugee tents. Markets set up at every other intersection to feed the influx of people into the neighborhoods. Finding the closest newspaper stand, Korra checked a paper and confirmed that their vacation had lasted just over two weeks.

Scaffolding had already been already constructed against damaged buildings and bridges. Cranes pierced the city skyline. The streets were crowded with more construction crews than residents, still. Mass evacuating the city had saved so many lives, and had made it possible for Future Industries to do emergency salvage and maintenance without needing to relocate residents or risking injuring any more civilians. Kuvira's invasion force and their battle downtown may have leveled entire city districts, but most of the collateral damage had been property. It would take years to recover, but that day could have been so tragically worse.

 _In the end, we were lucky,_ Asami thought. She watched construction machines dismantling the ruined carcass of a twenty story building across the street. Her people were doing good work.

She slipped a hand into the crook of Korra's arm as they headed for the bayside districts.

"A real bed is going to be nice," she sighed.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay at the Temple tonight?" Korra asked. "Get an early start instead?"

Asami grinned, nudging her gently. "You are determined to get me to sleep over."

She got a shrug at that. "I haven't slept alone in a week and a half," Korra said.

Slowing down a bit, Asami wrapped her arm around Korra's middle, latching onto her backpack. "You'll be fine," she smirked. "We need to learn how to function separately, you know. Can't always be in the same room."

"Who says," Korra teased.

A few gawkers had begun to watch them as they walked through crowds. Surprised to see The Avatar and the CEO of Future Industries out and about after their long absence? Or surprised to see them holding hands? Korra offered them a tentative wave.

This was new. All the attention, all the people. She and Asami had just started figuring out their relationship, and by some luck they had managed it all in the quiet solitude of the Spirit World. No prying eyes, no expectations. Just time and space to relax, and talk. To show how they felt about each other. Now, they were back in a city that already had a voracious interest in their personal lives. Together? They were going to be a press magnet.

When they reached the dock, the ferry was already making its journey back towards Republic City. Korra led them further down the boardwalk, away from the crowds. In the distance, the monument to Avatar Aang and the silhouette of the Air Temple loomed over the horizon. A familiar, steady sight to welcome the girls home.

"A little far from the pier," Asami noted.

Korra shrugged. "Calm before the storm."

They leaned into each other, shoulder to shoulder, as their fingers threaded together at the railing. Alone, for now. When they got back to the Air Temple, it would be a swarm of friends around them. Asking about their trip, about everything.

"Are you worried about something?" Asami asked, sliding in close.

"When the press finds out about us, it's gonna be a circus," Korra sighed.

"We'll deal with it together." Asami squeezed their hands and lightly kissed her cheek. "You have nothing to be nervous about. You've got your beautiful, intelligent, powerful, fascinating girlfriend beside you all the way." Korra quirked an eyebrow at her. Asami raised a hand. "I'm just paraphrasing you."

"I love you," Korra said. It had been a little too long since she'd told Asami. It felt so true, and easy, and natural to say.

It was a reminder that they had found each other through the fog. That they had each other to fight and care for. Asami's snark melted away, and her lips quirked into a warm smile.

"I love you too, Korra."

Sighing, they turned back to the water and watched the ferry sail closer. "We didn't really talk about how to tell everyone about us," Korra said. "Do we make it an announcement? Do we just act normal?" Focusing on their entwined fingers, a wrinkle formed between Korra's eyes. "I mean, we don't really know what 'normal' is for us yet."

Asami turned to her at the railing, trailing her free hand up Korra's wrist. "How about we take the time to figure that out, and the rest of the world can play catch-up."

"What does that mean?"

With a firm, smooth confidence, Asami reached for her face and pulled her into a kiss. The move was sudden, and Korra couldn't think of anything to do but let her head swim in it. Savoring. Taking their time. The sounds of the bay filled the lovely silence between them.

When Asami pulled away, only a breath apart, she wore a sly smile. "It means you'll be getting kissed in public a lot."

Korra slowly found her voice. "Guess I better keep my guard up, then."

"Don't you dare," Asami murmured, staring at her mouth as she leaned back in.

Korra's smile grew wide as she eagerly closed the distance for another kiss. The air between them warm and distracting.

A long moment passed slow and leisurely as the world drifted away. At least until a high-pitched squeal pierced the quiet.

They broke away from their kiss, a little dizzy and drunk on each other, and turned to the sound. A few yards away Bolin was grinning wildly, hands clasped over his mouth.

"Smooth, honey." Stunned and amused at what they'd interrupted, Opal stepped beside her boyfriend to plant a kiss on his head. Bolin was a little busy biting on his knuckles to hide his smile.

Mako strolled up behind them, hands in his pockets as he admired the coastline. "We heard that you'd been sighted downtown," he said cheerfully, "so we rolled out the welcome wagon."

"Welcome back!" Opal, trailed by a gleeful Jinora, scurried over. The four girls shared long hugs with each other.

Asami took a small, steadying breath. So many of their friends - their family - had shown up to see them. Two weeks had been blissful with just the two of them, but she'd missed all their faces.

"Welcome home, ladies."

"Tenzin!" Korra practically squeaked. Her face went hot pink. "Hi. Um. Yeah."

The airbending master stepped through to greet them, little Rohan squirming in his arms.

"Seems like your trip went well," Pema chimed, her arms free enough for once to embrace the two girls.

Tenzin nodded. "Yes, you both look happy and rested."

"Half right," Mako smirked under her breath. Opal and Jinora stifled giggles. Bolin was quiet, still staring at them with moon eyes.

"Thanks, everybody," Korra breathed, suddenly noticing a familiar pressure at her hand. Asami had gently taken it in her own.

Tenzin glanced down and smiled softly. "Welcome home." He reached out to rest a firm hand on Korra's shoulder, but then remembered his son in his arms. He quietly nodded to them instead. "Are you hungry?" he asked. "We can have dinner ready early if you are."

"We'll be at the pier," Mako said, politely shepherding everyone back towards the dock. "You two just come over when you're ready."

After a few waves and promises for stories, the group began to wander back.

Suddenly, Bolin rushed up at them. Before Korra or Asami could react, they were both gathered into a bear sized hug that lasted for a solid half a minute. They squeezed back as best they could. "You guys are awesome," he mumbled into their shoulders.

Asami chuckled out the rest of her air. "We love you, too, Bo," she wheezed.

"Yeah," Korra said, clenching her arms around his to give him an energetic bear hug back. Bolin laughed and finally released them, shuffling off after Opal and the rest of the group.

In the sudden quiet, Korra's head fell into Asami's chest. Hiding her furiously blushing face.

"How are you liking the circus so far?" Asami chuckled, resting her head on Korra's shoulder.

A laugh somehow managed to bubble up from Korra's mortified groan.

"Come here, love," Asami whispered, gathering her close.

They settled into each other's arms and watched the ferryboat trudging into dock. Sounds of the city filled their ears again, rippling with energy and possibility. There was so much still left to do, but they would be together for it all.

* * *

 **THE END**

 **Thank you all so much for supporting and reading my story over the past year or so. I'm so satisfied to finally have gotten this fic out of my head and to my awesome readers and commenters. Long Live Korrasami!**

 **-darlinggypsum**


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